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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25732645">Here's To Us</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuinnAbrams/pseuds/QuinnAbrams'>QuinnAbrams</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Glee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 12:29:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>25,323</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25732645</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuinnAbrams/pseuds/QuinnAbrams</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Artie (a film director) and Sam (a music therapist) move to LA together to pursue their dreams and raise a family! *Sartie/Abrevans* *Future Fic* *I do not own Glee or it's characters* *Originally published by me on FanFiction.net*</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Artie Abrams/Sam Evans</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. LA Lovers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>AUTHOR'S NOTE:</p><p>Hi everybody! I hope you enjoy this story! It features one of my favorite crackships- Sartie/Abrevans! I love these two together and I think they would've made a great pairing! I think I've read every story on the internet about them, so I thought I'd write my own! I hope you enjoy it and that you please leave me some reviews letting me know your thoughts!</p><p>I originally published this story here: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13594291/1/Here-s-To-Us on 6/4/20, but I wanted to post it here too to reach a bigger audience!</p><p>*I don't own any of the characters that Glee created, only the ones that I have developed for the purpose of this story. All rights for Glee and its characters are owned by Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan, Brad Falchuk, and FOX.*</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 1: LA Lovers</strong>
</p><p>"Honey, I'm home!" Sam called as he entered the couple's new house from the adjoining garage, instantly greeted by their rescue pup, McConaughey.</p><p>"I'm in the living room!" his boyfriend called back.</p><p>Sam kicked off his shoes and hung his bag on one of the hooks in the mudroom before bending down and petting the dog as the mutt licked his face. Sam followed the smooth hardwood floors down the hallway leading to the rest of the house. As he turned the corner, he was immediately met with the mountains of cardboard moving boxes that had yet to be unpacked. He could barely see Artie's head peeking from behind a box as he began to unload picture frames to decorate the new built-in bookcase shelving in their living area.</p><p>"Hey, you!" Artie's face lit up as Sam came into view. "How was your first day of work?"</p><p>"Amazing!" Sam gushed as he hugged Artie from behind and kissed the top of his head. "The kids were so sweet and it didn't even feel like a job. I never knew that I could get paid for having this much fun at work!"</p><p>It had been years since the two of them and Blaine had moved out to The Big Apple after high school, and Sam had yet to find "his calling" until now. He had dipped his toes in a variety of professions- from working as a model right out of high school, to returning to Lima to help Beiste coach the football team before taking over Mr. Schue's position as the director of the Glee Club for a few years. As he neared his mid-to-late twenties, Sam decided it was finally time to really get serious about his career. After doing some online research, he had finally found the profession that called his name. He applied and was accepted to NYU's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development to get his degree and certifications, and today was the day all of his hard work had paid off: his first day of work as the newest Music Therapist at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Artie's heart soared to see his man so happy after how hard he worked to get here.</p><p>"I'm glad! I knew you would love it," he replied, tilting his head up to kiss Sam on the cheek.</p><p>"What have you been up to all day, Mr. Hollywood?" Sam asked. "It doesn't even look like you've made a dent in unpacking these boxes!"</p><p>"Well, contrary to popular belief, I did get a lot done today," Artie said, picking up a picture frame containing a photo of the two men in Central Park and setting it in his lap before carefully maneuvering his chair around the half-empty moving boxes and setting the frame down on the lowest shelf. "I unpacked and put away all of the kitchenware, and began decorating the office before I needed a change of scenery and began working on the living room."</p><p>Sam nodded in understanding as he glanced around and took a mental note of all the work that they still had yet to do. How had they fit so much stuff in their shoebox of an apartment in the city?!</p><hr/><p>Artie had graduated from the Brooklyn Film Academy a few years back while Sam was back in Lima coaching the McKinley Titans. He remained on the East Coast for the next few years, filming short films throughout New England and Long Island, building up his portfolio.</p><p>New York was waiting for Sam when he decided to make his much-anticipated return a few years later after passing the New Directions director position down to Roderick Meeks. Sam was much more prepared for New York 2.0. He came out east with a solid plan and his sights set on a degree and career in pediatric music therapy. He and Artie moved in together and adopted McConaughey from a shelter in the city. Artie continued to take on smaller projects that he could submit to various film festivals. His movies, many of which had been hits, usually starred Quinn or Tina, who had both graduated from Ivy League Schools with degrees in Performing Arts, so that they could build up their resumes as well.</p><p>A couple of weeks ago, one of Artie's films that received rave reviews gained the attention of one Steven Spielberg. Steven had contacted Artie directly and had expressed interest in having him direct a film for his production company, Amblin Entertainment, and even offered him a substantial starting bonus. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity that Artie could absolutely not pass up on, so the day after Sam's NYU graduation, the couple packed up their entire lives and headed out west. Once Sam had secured the position at the children's hospital, they had taken a risk and opted to buy a sizable home in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles instead of opting to settle down in an apartment. The home had an open floor plan (perfect for Artie to be able to get around easily) and a gorgeous view of the city skyline. Sam and Artie were looking forward to spending the rest of their lives together, and the future they imagined for themselves involved kids; this is a home they could see themselves raising a family in.</p><p>The big move to LA was bound to happen at some point, as it is the most logical location for both of their professions. A bunch of their former Glee Club pals have moved out here to pursue their dreams as well: Mercedes is a successful recording artist, Puck had expanded his vocabulary quite a bit since barely graduating high school and was now one of the most sought-after screenwriters in the industry (Artie is eager to work with him on a project sometime soon!), and even Brittany and Santana, who are working as a professional dancer and publicist, respectively, had settled down here after their daughter Valerie was born. A big group dinner to reunite the old friends certainly needs to be planned for the near future.</p><hr/><p>Artie and Sam had always been close friends- dating all the way back to Sam's first performance at McKinley, a cover of Travie McCoy and Bruno Mars' <em>Billionaire</em>. Sophomore year, they had each dated half of the legendary "Brittana" duo before it was apparent that the girls were in love with each other. Back in the day, Sam had openly admired what good friends the Cheerios were, and had even once told Artie that he "wished they were that close". After the inevitable breakups happened and Brittany and Santana had begun their own relationship, Sam still found himself drawn to Artie and wanting to get closer to him. The two boys became nearly inseparable after discovering a shared "geeky" love for all things <em>Avatar</em> and <em>Star Wars</em>, and Sam began to realize that his feelings for Artie strayed far beyond the friend zone. He decided early on, though, that these were feelings he would never act upon after he had witnessed firsthand the endless tormenting and bullying that Kurt Hummel had endured after he had come out publicly- the halls of McKinley High were not kind to him, to say the least. Sam had decided right then and there to suppress whatever feelings he had for Artie… after all, Artie was straight! He constantly had girlfriends every year of high school and even spent his freshman year of college sleeping around. The man was a legend. Whatever feelings Sam was experiencing for him wasn't going to change that, so he felt staying in the closet was best for both parties involved.</p><p>He didn't begin to have feelings for other guys until he moved to New York. While working as a model, Sam met plenty of attractive homosexual men and even spent some time experimenting. After sleeping with much of the male model population in NYC, and even venturing out to the city's gay bar scene a couple of times a week, it soon became very clear to him that he was definitely gay. He had never felt as good about himself with a woman as he did when he was with a man. However, even after having relations with arguably some of the world's most attractive and successful men, his mind always drifted back to Artie. No picture perfect model with washboard abs could make Sam feel the way he did about the bespectacled film student in the wheelchair, and that he knew for sure.</p><p>One day a few months after they moved to the city, as they were chilling out and playing <em>Call of Duty</em>, Sam finally worked up the courage to tell Artie how he felt. He had taken a deep breath and paused the game before turning to the man next to him and spilling out every emotion he had internalized since he was sixteen years old. Sure, he was afraid of how Artie would respond, but even having his feelings out in the universe made Sam feel like a giant weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.</p><p>Much to Sam's surprise, the feelings he had harbored for Artie all these years were very much mutual.</p><p>Artie had known he was bisexual since freshman year of high school, and he was always open to the possibility of being in a relationship with a guy, he had just never found anyone out of the closet worth pursuing. Kurt and Blaine weren't really his type, Mr. Martinez- that Spanish teacher Mr. Schue had brought into Glee Club once- was much too old for him (much to Artie's dismay because did you see his smile?! Dreamy!), and Sebastian Smythe was out of the question because he was an enemy Warbler (however, their glee clubs' rivalry did not stop Artie and Seb from hooking up on multiple different occasions…). Artie always had a soft spot for Sam, but he tried not to dwell on the feelings he had for guys who were obviously straight, hoping to avoid the inevitable heartbreak that comes along with loving somebody who could never love you back. However, when Sam had revealed his longtime crush, Artie was quick to assure him that he felt the same way. That night, they went out to dinner and toyed with the possibility of becoming a couple, and it didn't take much for them to decide that they had already wasted too much time apart to delay their eventual relationship that was sure to follow. After leaving the restaurant that night, they had stopped by Kurt, Rachel, Blaine, and Santana's loft in Bushwick to announce their news. Their friends could not have been more supportive, and Santana even claimed that her "excellent gay-dar" had predicted this pairing way back during the days of The Justin Bieber Experience.</p><p>And throughout Sam's multiple career paths, Artie's time in film school, doing long-distance between Brooklyn and Lima, and most recently Sam's years in college, Sam and Artie have survived it all and been together ever since.</p><hr/><p>"I was thinking we could just order a pizza or something and spend the night unpacking? I want to get our bedroom finished sooner rather than later, if that's okay with you," Artie suggested.</p><p>"Yeah, I'm down for whatever," Sam nodded, as easy-going as ever.</p><p>After enjoying their pizza- half Hawaiian for Artie ("It's exotic!") and half plain cheese for picky Sam- the couple began to tackle the task of unpacking their bedroom. The master suite had a king size bed ("Sex is about to be mindblowing on this giant thing!" Sam had marveled), a balcony, a walk-in closet, and a bathroom. Both the bedroom and bathroom were spacious enough that it was easy for Artie to get around. Sam began the task of unboxing and putting away both of their clothes in the closet, making sure to hang Artie's clothes on the lower racks and his own up higher. Artie was much more meticulous about decoration, so he took it upon himself to add lamps to each of their side tables, as well as decorate their shared dresser with more picture frames containing memories from both New York and Lima.</p><p>"Alright, I'm done in the closet," Sam informed the smaller man after about an hour of work. "It was a lot easier to organize once I realized that the boxes had our names on them."</p><p>Artie couldn't help but roll his eyes and laugh at his boyfriend. Sam had smartened up over the years, but every once in a while he makes a comment that reminds Artie of the silly boy he knew in high school.</p><p>"Great, now before you get started on putting away the t-shirts and socks and stuff in the dresser, do me a favor and hang that up above the bed?" Artie asked, pointing to a piece of artwork that the two of them had picked out together at a flea market.</p><p>Artie directed Sam left and right to make sure that the painting was centered, and once it was hung, it really pulled the room together. After Sam had stepped off the bed, Artie adjusted the throw pillows and mentally noted how cozy and homey the space was beginning to feel.</p><p>Sam had begun filling the dresser drawers with each man's socks, underwear, sleepwear, and t-shirts, as Artie set a small statue on Sam's bedside table. He was adjusting a photograph of the New Directions after they won Nationals in 2012 on his own bedside table when Sam spoke up.</p><p>"Hey, what's this doing in here?"</p><p>Artie looked over to see Sam holding up a little black velvet box he had found in the box labeled "Artie's Socks". Artie's face turned as white as the sheets on the bed when he realized what Sam had found. Artie's mind went blank; he couldn't even find the words to protest as he watched Sam fumble with the box until he was able to open it. The room was silent enough that he heard Sam's quiet gasp as he saw his engagement ring for the first time.</p><p>"A-Artie?" Sam stuttered as he broke the silence with a shocked expression on his face. "Is this for me?"</p><p>All Artie could do was nod.</p><p>The couple sat in silence for a couple more minutes before Artie spoke up.</p><p>"If I remembered I had put it in that box I would've unpacked that one myself," he said softly, mentally cursing himself for ruining the elaborate proposal he had imagined.</p><p>"I love it, Artie," Sam replied, standing up from where he was kneeling by the dresser and crossing the room so that he could sit on the bed across from where Artie looked like he just got punched in the gut. "I love it so much."</p><p>"I had a whole proposal in mind. It was supposed to be perfect! Like you," Artie said, unable to meet Sam's eyes. Surely his life partner- someone as good as Sam Evans- deserved better than just finding his ring in a box with socks and underwear!</p><p>"Hey," Sam said softly, using the hand that wasn't holding the ring box to lift Artie's chin so that he could meet the gaze of those big, soulful blue eyes he loved so much. "You know I don't care about that kind of stuff."</p><p>"But I do! I care!" Artie protested. "I'm a director! I have a vision, and I follow through with it! I was gonna take you out to dinner, then to Santa Monica to watch the sunset on the Pier! It was going to be perfect!"</p><p>"But look! Instead, you're going to ask me to marry you in our new bedroom in our forever home! And then we're gonna have lots and lots of sex on this massive bed!" Sam replied. He sure knew exactly what to say to lighten the mood.</p><p>Artie couldn't help but smile and look away bashfully. Sam's optimism was infectious, whether Artie wanted to admit it or not.</p><p>"Wait… I'm <em>going to</em> ask you? You found the ring yourself already."</p><p>A goofy grin spread across Sam's face as he stated:</p><p>"Don't think because I found the ring you are off the hook. You still have to actually ask me to marry you, you know."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. White Wedding</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 2: White Wedding</strong>
</p><p>After enjoying an extra long engagement due to Artie's meticulous planning ("Hey! I didn't get to follow through with the proposal I had planned, so <em>at least</em> let me make sure the wedding is up to my standards!" Artie had insisted), the day both of them had been waiting for was finally here- today they became husbands.</p><p>They had gone wedding location scouting the previous summer in both LA and New York before deciding on the perfect destination: an outdoor venue in Malibu called Calamigos Ranch. They had decided on a date in late April because it would be warm, but not blazing hot (most of their guests would be coming from Ohio, after all!). Sam's easygoingness was a perfect compliment to Artie's uptight control freak nature- Artie was a male bridezilla for sure. Aside from the flavor of the cake, Sam really couldn't care less about wedding planning. He had decided to turn all of the decision making over to Artie, knowing that he would use his director's eye and everything would turn out perfectly.</p><p>They had decided to forego the traditional "bride's side and groom's side" seating at the ceremony, as most of the guests were shared by both parties. Their wedding party consisted of Sam's siblings, Stevie and Stacey, and Artie's sister Brynn, as well as their old pals from the New Directions: Mercedes, Puck, and Quinn, and couples Santana and Brittany, Tina and Mike, Rachel and Jesse, and Kurt and Blaine. Valerie Lopez-Pierce would be serving as their flower girl, and the ring bearer position was occupied by Rachel and Jesse's five-year-old son Theo. They even asked Mr. Schue to officiate the ceremony.</p><p>Unlike his fiancé, Sam didn't care about all of the details that went into planning a wedding. If it were up to him, they would just take a weekend trip to Vegas and elope. But he knew this day was important to Artie, so he did his best to humor him by feigning an interest in venues and dates and decorations and table settings. Lucky for Sam, Artie had the entire day scheduled out for him- all he had to do was show up on time. <em>Everyone should get married like this</em>, Sam thought to himself.</p><p>What Sam didn't know, however, was that Artie had a surprise up his sleeve that he hadn't included on Sam's schedule. For this reason, Artie decided it would be best for the two of them to get ready separately and not see each other until it was time for the ceremony. According to the plan Artie had devised, Sam would be walking down the aisle first, accompanied by his parents. Artie had asked his parents to bring along his trusty old ReWalk when they came out to California so that he could surprise Sam by walking down the aisle as well. Burt Hummel had been able to fix the contraption after it had broken down all those years ago, but Artie had not relayed that information to his soon-to-be-husband. Each member of the wedding party had been informed of the plan (with the exception of Brittany- Artie and Santana were concerned she might accidentally ruin the surprise) so that nobody passed out of complete shock at the sight of Artie back on his feet publicly for the first time since Christmas 2010.</p><p>Since the wedding party was being shared amongst both Sam and Artie, they freely came and went between both of their suites where they were getting ready. Sam and Artie had chosen to wear navy blue tuxedos themselves, and for the men in the wedding party to wear grey suits, and the women to wear grey dresses. The guys mostly hung back and began drinking the alcoholic beverages that were provided for their enjoyment, as the girls and Kurt devoted their time to make sure that both grooms were looking their best.</p><p>"I don't want any makeup! I'm not a girl!" Sam had protested, pushing away Kurt's hand as he tried to touch up his face.</p><p>"It's concealer, Sam!" he argued. "It's hardly even makeup! Do you want to have bags under your eyes in all of your wedding photos?!"</p><p>He had a point there. Sam gave in and allowed Kurt to dot some of the beige makeup under his eyes, but not before shooting an annoyed look in his direction.</p><p>Meanwhile, in the next room over, Tina and Quinn were trying to convince Artie to lose his usual side swoop hairstyle for something more 21st century.</p><p>"I already ditched the wheelchair and the glasses, if I lose my signature hair Sam's not even going to recognize me as I come down the aisle!" Artie tried to reason, knowing this was a battle he was going to lose.</p><p>"Change is good," Tina assured him as she squirted some gel into her palm before running her fingers through Artie's hair.</p><p>"Perfect," Quinn gave an approving nod. "Now you look less like Harry Potter, and more like… Harry Styles!"</p><p>Her comment received a giggle from Artie, as well as an eye roll from Tina.</p><p>Just then, Rachel stuck her head in the doorway.</p><p>"Five minutes 'til showtime!" She sang with evident happiness in her voice.</p><p>It was then, for the first time of the entire day, that Artie began to feel a bit panicked. He had remained so cool, calm, and collected until this moment. Suddenly, he felt like he did back when he first directed the McKinley production of <em>West Side Story</em>. Like he had no idea what he was doing and he had just been a big fraud all along. Without his glasses, Artie's eyes looked even bigger and bluer, if that was even possible, and those who knew him well would be able to read his emotions right off his face like a book.</p><p>"Artie, are you okay?" Tina asked, noticing the look on her former boyfriend's face that she knew all too well as sheer panic.</p><p>"Yep. I'm fine," he lied, shaking his head in an attempt to also shake away the nerves. "Places, people!"</p><p>As the wedding party left the suites and began to line up two by two, Artie's parents, Nancy and Art, entered the room to see their son before they were to escort him to the man he was about to marry. Tears welled up in Nancy's eyes as soon as she saw her little boy so dressed up. Art followed closely behind, carrying the ReWalk in his arms.</p><p>"Oh, Artie! You look so handsome!" Nancy gushed, cupping her son's face in her hands. Artie gave her a wide, dimpled grin in return before maneuvering over next to the couch where Art had set down the ReWalk. Artie transferred from his chair and began to strap himself into the mechanical exoskeleton that would give him the ability to walk down the aisle.</p><p>"Sam's still got no idea?" Art asked, shaking his head in disbelief that they were able to pull this gig off.</p><p>"He's got no clue," Artie laughed as he tightened the last velcro strap on his leg.</p><p>Nancy and Art came to either side and braced his arms as Artie clicked the button that raised him into a standing position. He gasped when he remembered how tall he actually was… Well, five foot eight isn't exactly tall by the typical male standards, but it was certainly taller than the four foot seven view he typically had from his chair.</p><p>In the distance, he could hear the first chimes of music being played on the piano, signaling that it was time for the wedding party to start their descent towards the altar.</p><p>In just a few minutes he would be marrying the love of his life. And he couldn't wait.</p><hr/><p>The piano began playing an instrumental cover of Christopher Cross' <em>Arthur's Theme</em>, the song they were to walk down the aisle to. Sam and his parents, Dwight and Mary, appeared at the beginning of the aisle, and the guests' heads turned their way. Sam looked around at all of the familiar faces in the crowd- Ms. Pillsbury, Coach Beiste, Principal Figgins, Sue Sylvester, Roz Washington, Becky Jackson, Sugar Motta, Marley, Jake, Ryder, Unique, and Kitty… everyone who had made an impact on his and Artie's lives had gathered here in Malibu today to celebrate their love.</p><p>As he reached the end of the aisle, Sam's mother kissed him on the cheek and his father pulled him in for a "bro" hug before they headed to their seats in the front row. Sam gave Will a fist bump before watching his friends walk down the aisle in pairs of two before dispersing to either side of the altar. After them, the adorable Valerie and Theo walked hand in hand, receiving a collective "awwww" from those in attendance.</p><p>Sam didn't have to glance at his schedule to know what was to happen next. His heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest, and each passing second felt like an eternity as he waited to see his fiancé's face appear.</p><p>Sam <em>heard</em> Artie before he saw him, though.</p><p>Over the sound of the piano, he could barely make out the familiar whirring of… <em>could it be</em>?!</p><p>His suspicions were confirmed when Artie appeared, clutching tightly onto the arms of his parents. The crowd gasped as Sam's jaw dropped. His eyes instantly welled up with tears, and he covered his face with his hands in shock.</p><p>"The Wedding Fairy must've left that under Artie's pillow last night!" Brittany squealed excitedly.</p><p>Sam wiped a tear away from his cheek, as he watched in complete disbelief as Artie slowly ambulated down the aisle. The walk couldn't have been more than fifty feet, but he knew that each step was a struggle when you hadn't walked normally in nearly twenty years.</p><p>When he finally reached where Sam was standing, Artie let go of his parent's arms and took Sam's instead. Nancy and Art each kissed Artie on the cheek before finding their own seats, just across the aisle from the Evans family.</p><p>"You did it, you did it," Sam grinned as he assured the shorter man who now stood in front of him, a bit pink in the face and out of breath.</p><p>"Are you surprised?" Artie tiredly laughed.</p><p>"I'm…" Sam began, searching for the right words to express how he was feeling at the moment. "... in love."</p><p>Artie grinned back, as Mr. Schue began addressing the guests:</p><p>"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join these two men in marriage- Samuel Jessica Evans and Arthur John Abrams. I have known these two since they were sixteen and both found their safe space in a high school Glee Club. It has been an extreme privilege to watch them grow and mature into the successful and driven men they are today."</p><p>Mr. Schue went on about true love and soulmates for a while as Sam and Artie both zoned out looking into each other's eyes. Couldn't he speed it up for once? Neither of them had ever been this happy or impatient in their entire lives.</p><p>"And now, I believe the grooms have written some vows that they would like to exchange in front of you all today."</p><p>
  <em>Finally.</em>
</p><p>Art stood up from his seat and approached the altar to hand Artie a cane so that he was able to shift his weight as he pulled a notecard from his pocket. Sam stabilized Artie by putting a protective hand around his waist as his almost-husband began talking.</p><p>"Sam, I have loved you ever since you first walked into the choir room and opened that Trouty Mouth of yours and said something to make me laugh, and it wasn't long before you became my closest friend. Every movie night and Halo marathon made me want to get closer to you. You have always made me so happy. I was on Cloud 9 when we moved to New York together, then I really had to pinch myself when you told me that you have had feelings for me since high school. I thought that any second I would wake up and disappoint myself because I had dreamt it all. And if that's the case, then I still haven't woken up and I never want to. Life with you is like living my dream day after day, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I know this probably sounds silly, but you don't know how much it means to me that you always saw <em>me</em> first and not the chair; you accept me for who I am and all that I can offer. You are the most special, caring, goofy, and gentle man I've ever met, and I can't wait to grow old and raise a family with you. I hope that over the next fifty years, I can learn to be half as good to you as you are to me. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life loving you. <em>Nga yawne lu oer</em>," Artie said, tears brimming in his eyes. He ended his vows by saying "I love you" in Na'vi- the language spoken in <em>Avatar</em>- knowing that Sam would understand him perfectly.</p><p>Artie looked up from his notecard in time to see Sam wipe away the tears that had escaped his eyes. He sniffled and smiled before replying: "I love you too."</p><p>Once Sam had composed himself, he turned around and nodded to Puck, who was standing behind him. Puck grabbed an acoustic guitar that Artie hadn't noticed was there before and handed it to Sam.</p><p>"Uh… all of you know that words aren't really my thing," Sam began, slipping the guitar strap over his head, eliciting a polite laugh from those in attendance. "I didn't think I would be able to accurately express my love for this man in words, so I turned to music. I hope this says what I can't."</p><p>Mr. Schue took over the task of making sure Artie remained supported in an upright position while Sam began playing <em>Say You Won't Let Go</em> by James Arthur on his guitar.</p><p>When the song was finished, Artie had tears streaming down his face too. Even though the words weren't his own, Artie knew how much Sam loved him just by the way he performed that song.</p><p>Sam then handed the guitar back to Puck and took Artie's free hand (the one that wasn't holding on to the cane) in his own. Mr. Schue then had the men exchange rings and say their "I Do's".</p><p>"By the power vested in me by the internet, I now pronounce you husband and husband! You may kiss one another!" Mr. Schue said, finally.</p><p>It took an inhumane amount of self-control for Sam and Artie to not have the world's biggest make out session in front of their friends and family, but somehow they managed. And now they're married!</p><p>The guests cheered as Sam took Artie's arm in his own and patiently waited for Artie to start the ReWalk. The soft whirring noise of the machine started back up, and with support from both Sam and his cane, Artie slowly, but surely, made his way back down the aisle, his husband smiling at his side.</p><hr/><p>The reception was being held at an event space on the same property as the ceremony. Before heading to the after party, the newlyweds stopped by the suite where Artie had gotten ready earlier. Both Sam and Artie decided to ditch their tux coats ahead of the celebration, however, while Artie opted to keep the bowtie, Sam tossed his to the side and unbuttoned the top four buttons in his dress shirt for a more casual look. Sam helped Artie unstrap himself from the ReWalk and transfer back into his wheelchair.</p><p>"Ah, it feels like being home!" Artie joked as he unlocked his brakes and began wheeling himself towards the door. While he was grateful for the ReWalk, at the end of the day, he was always relieved to go back to his chair. Something about walking with a robotic suit just didn't feel genuine to him- and Artie was nothing if not genuine.</p><p>The reception was a blast, as expected. Sam and Artie had decided not to hire a band or DJ, knowing that with a little alcohol in their systems, all of the "retired" New Directions alumni would be fighting for the microphone and their chance to perform.</p><p>During the meal, their friends made speech after speech. Puck reminisced on the time he tried to teach his "young Jedi in a wheelchair" how to pick up chicks as his community service for juvie ("Turns out, I'm not a bad stylist, we just weren't quite shopping in your department!" Puck said to Artie with a wink. The other guests humored him with a roar of confused laughter). Brittany said she was honored to have been a "foster girlfriend" for both of them while they were on their journey to find each other, and Tina toasted to the fact that she, apparently, only surrounds herself with homosexual men, earning her a faux hurt look from her husband, Mike Chang.</p><p>Artie and Sam's guests enjoyed the lively environment, the open bar, and the bustling dance floor. The photographers they had hired made sure to capture all of the cliché wedding photos: feeding each other bites of wedding cake, photos of the grooms singing a John Mellencamp duet to entertain their attendees, and even a shot of Sam carrying Artie bridal style.</p><p>Overall, the night was surely one to remember. Their love was celebrated by all of the most important people in their lives- something that legally could not have happened just ten years ago.</p><p>When the reception was over, the guests all retreated to their respective hotel rooms. Artie and Sam, who are both notorious for tending to have too much to drink at any given function, stumbled to their room before collapsing on the shared bed.</p><p>"Okay, babe," Artie slurred, sitting up on his forearms and raising an eyebrow at his husband. "Time to strip and see what this whole 'wedding night sex' fad is all about."</p><p>"Your wish is my command, Hubby!" Sam replied with a drunken cheerfulness to his voice as he stood up and pulled his shirt over his head before leaping onto the bed where Artie lay.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you are all enjoying this story so far! Please leave me any reviews, thoughts, messages, and suggestions you have on this story! Reading your feedback really motivates me to continue writing! Thank you!</p><p>xoxo QuinnAbrams</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Two's Company</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 3: Two's Company</strong>
</p><p>The Honeymoon Phase was good to Sam and Artie. Many long weekend trips to Napa and Vegas were had, and the men built up their frequent flyer miles on airlines by jet setting to and from Provincetown in the summer. They found that life as newlyweds wasn't so different from that during their engagement, or even when they were cohabitating- just with a lot more sex.</p><p>Sam was thriving as a music therapist at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. He was adored by patients and staff alike, and it wasn't long until he was promoted to head of the department. Artie had directed and produced several movies under Spielberg's production company, and his latest film, Plague of Terror, is about to hit theaters and is expected to do very well in the box office. The press is buzzing about Hollywood's newest up-and-coming director, and Artie is starting to get used to seeing articles about himself on entertainment websites and in magazines.</p><p>Since he wrapped production on his most recent project, Artie has been taking on the role of the "housewife and stay-at-home dog dad" while Sam is at the hospital. He didn't mind the cooking and cleaning so much as the silence of the home during the day. Artie knew before entering the industry that sometimes jobs may be few and far between, but that didn't make him any more used to the loneliness that came with having a husband whose job hours weren't so flexible.</p><p>Since the New Directions reunion at Sam and Artie's wedding the year before, the Los Angeles-based alumni had begun taking any opportunity to catch up over coffee or dinner. Earlier in the week, Mercedes had sent out a group text to Artie, Sam, Puck, Santana, and Britt to see who would be interested in meeting in LA's Brentwood neighborhood for dinner on Friday night. Everyone had responded with an eager "yes", and Artie had been looking forward to it all week. Finally, he had a reason to change out of his usual attire these days, which consisted of a t-shirt and joggers!</p><p>Leaving CHLA now. Be home in a bit. Gonna change quick then we can head over, Sam texted his husband.</p><p>Artie "liked" his message before texting back reminding Sam to drive carefully- LA traffic could be a bitch this time of day.</p><p>Artie, who had gotten ready a little earlier than he probably should have, was wearing grey skinny jeans and a plain white t-shirt, having ditched what Sam referred to as "grandpa clothes" back in college. Artie wheeled into the living area and transferred from his chair to the couch, patting the spot beside him to invite McConaughey up to snuggle. The pup gladly obliged, and Artie reached for the remote to indulge in one of his newest guilty pleasures- reality shows. He was quickly finding himself becoming a "Bravo TV Gay". He needed to start a new project ASAP, he decided.</p><p>Just after his first episode of Real Housewives ended, his husband entered from the garage, causing the dog to run over to the door excitedly.</p><p>"Hey, babe," Artie called from the couch, laughing at McConaughey's tail wagging a mile a minute as he gave Sam a boatload of sloppy puppy kisses.</p><p>"Hey yourself," Sam replied, planting a kiss on the top of Artie's head.</p><p>"Go get changed, yo! We've gotta meet Brittana and Puckcedes in Brentwood at 7, and we've still got a twenty minute drive ahead of us!" Artie said, using the infamous ship names dating back to high school. Bossing people around was what he did best.</p><p>"Alright, alright, alright!" Sam responded, doing his best Matthew McConaughey impression, knowing it would elicit a laugh and eye roll from Artie.</p><p>Not five minutes later, Sam returned in jeans and a short sleeve henley shirt.</p><p>"Ready to hit the road?" Sam asked, running his fingers through his hair.</p><p>Artie nodded, transferred back to his chair, and headed towards the ramp leading down to the garage. Sam tossed Artie the keys to his BMW from the basket where they were stored, and Artie caught them flawlessly. The couple worked like a well-oiled machine; they always knew what move the other was going to make even before they made it.</p><p>Artie slid into the driver's seat before disassembling his chair and storing it in the back. Sam knew that there was no use arguing about who would be driving- it was common knowledge that Artie was a better driver with hand controls than Sam was with his feet on the pedals. Sam opened the passenger side door and ducked down into the smaller car as Artie started the ignition.</p><hr/><p>After handing over the keys to the valet, Sam held the door open for Artie, who wheeled in to find their four friends waiting for them. They were seated at a table, making it easy for Sam to push one of the chairs away to make room for Artie's wheelchair.</p><p>"It's about time you two show up! I'm starving," Puck groaned as Sam and Artie took their places at the table.</p><p>"Sorry 'bout that, but it's not our fault that everyone and their cousin was headed towards the coast from the Hills today," Artie shrugged, taking a sip of the mixed drink his friends had ordered for him.</p><p>The six friends discussed everything from their personal lives, to what they have been up to with work, and even talked about the goings on of their pals living across the country in New York.</p><p>"Did you hear about Rachel? Rumor has it she got a callback to play Elphaba in Wicked!" Mercedes shared.</p><p>"That's amazing!" Sam replied, happy for his friend.</p><p>"Surprise, surprise. The only role that is more perfect for Berry than an annoying Jewish girl is a wicked witch!" Santana said with a wave of her hand. "And let me guess, Lady Hummel is the favorite for Glinda?"</p><p>Mercedes shook her head. They may be adults now, but Santana still wielded the same snarky comments that she spat back in high school.</p><p>An uncomfortable silence fell over the table, and Artie was quick to switch the subject.</p><p>"So, Santana," Artie began, clearing his throat. "How's Valerie? She's getting big; she must be starting school pretty soon, yeah?"</p><p>Santana eagerly nodded and her facial expression changed like the flip of a light switch. She always jumped at any opportunity to talk about her little girl.</p><p>"She starts kindergarten in August," she said. "It's crazy how fast it went by. If I could freeze time, I would!"</p><p>Artie nodded understandingly. He had to admit, it did feel like just yesterday he was holding an infant Val in his arms, becoming "Uncle Artie" for the first time.</p><p>"What about you two?" Mercedes asked, directing her question at Sam and Artie. "When are you gonna begin makin' babies?"</p><p>They had been asked this question a lot lately- I guess that's what happens when you've been married for over a year. Artie went to respond with his go-to answer ("We're looking into it, it's just that the artificial insemination and surrogacy process is so expensive, and we're waiting 'til one of my movies makes it big. I'm not bringing a child into this world if I don't even have an Academy Award for it to brag about to its friends on the playground!"- This line was always a crowd pleaser), but before he could open his mouth, his husband was already talking.</p><p>"Soon. I've already been thinking of some fresh baby names for them- like maybe Ace, or Blaze if it's a girl," Sam said, a giant grin spreading across his face at the thought of being a dad.</p><p>His reply took Artie by complete surprise. They hadn't had this conversation in a while, and Artie wasn't really sure if they were ready to be parents quite yet. All he could do was look at his husband and try to hide the dumbfounded look that he knew was apparent on his face.</p><p>"Well, you might wanna slow your roll there, Trouty Mouth, because Wheels over here looks like he's about to yak all over this table," Santana laughed causing everyone to glance in Artie's direction.</p><p>Artie felt his face grow hot with embarrassment and chewed on the plastic straw of his drink.</p><p>"Come on! I think we're ready! We'd be great dads! Our kid would be, like, super badass," Sam attempted to reason with his husband. Artie began to grow increasingly uncomfortable at the thought of having this conversation in front of their friends.</p><p>"You know, as soon as kids are in the picture, you will have to ditch your spontaneous bachelor Insta-influencer lifestyle," Santana warned. "No more weekends away in The Hamptons."</p><p>"Provincetown," Artie corrected her under his breath through gritted teeth.</p><p>"Same difference," the Latina retaliated. "Once a kid is involved everything requires planning. Do you even know how hard it was to find a sitter to watch Valerie tonight on such short notice?"</p><p>"So hard," Brittany chimed in, backing her wife.</p><p>"All I'm saying," Santana said, sitting back in her seat and raising her glass to her lips. "is that before you post some desperate Facebook ad looking for a surrogate, make sure you are both on the same page."</p><hr/><p>"Goodnight," Sam said as he reached to turn off the lamp on his bedside table.</p><p>"Night," Artie replied nonchalantly, snuggling up to his shirtless husband once he was under the covers.</p><p>After about a minute or two in the dark silence, Artie shifted himself over to the edge of the bed and sat up, turning on the lamp on his own bedside table.</p><p>"Can we talk?" Artie asked, putting his glasses back on his face and scooting back so he could lean against the headboard.</p><p>"Listen, Artie, if this is about me letting the dog sleep on your pillow in the bed with me when you were away shooting Plague of Terror, I'm sorry, but he just looked so lonely and like he really missed you, and I did too, and-"</p><p>"What? No," Artie cut off his husband, shaking his head. "I didn't even know about that."</p><p>"Oh."</p><p>"It's about the conversation at dinner tonight. The one about us getting ready to have kids."</p><p>Silence.</p><p>"Do you really think we're ready for that?" Artie asked, more curiosity than judgment present in his voice.</p><p>Sam thought for a minute before responding.</p><p>"I do."</p><p>Artie looked up, his blue eyes meeting Sam's green ones. Artie could see the hopefulness behind Sam's small, reassuring smile.</p><p>"I just feel like I wouldn't be a good dad- not yet at least," Artie opened up, wondering if Sam could see his face flush in the dimly lit room.</p><p>"Artie, are you kidding me?!" Sam asked in disbelief, sitting up and turning to face his husband. "You're great with kids! You're, like, the best uncle ever!"</p><p>"Being a good uncle doesn't mean I'd be a good father!"</p><p>"Sure it does!" Sam exclaimed. "You've always wanted to have kids… why are you scared all of a sudden?"</p><p>Sam had a point. Artie had always wanted kids. Ever since he could remember, actually. The possibility just seemed so much more real all of a sudden now that they had been married for a while.</p><p>Artie shrugged. But before he knew it, words just started spewing out of his mouth like lava from a volcano.</p><p>"Babies can be exhausting, sure, but they're easy compared to toddlers! Toddlers are constantly running everywhere, and they always need somebody to look after them and make sure that they don't get hurt or into trouble," he paused for a moment before coming to a sad conclusion. "I can't... chase after a toddler!"</p><p>Both men stayed reticent.</p><p>Artie, himself, was shocked at what he said. Is that really how he felt? Like his parenting abilities would be hindered because he's in a wheelchair? Was he really going to let that keep him from pursuing his dream of being a father?</p><p>Artie's words stunned Sam as well. For as long as Sam had known him, Artie had always been so confident, regardless of the circumstances. He had never let on that he felt like he would be an inferior caretaker because of his disability. Sam didn't even know how to respond.</p><p>Eventually, Artie spoke up, breaking the silence.</p><p>"I'm just scared that I won't be able to be the kind of dad that our kids deserve," Artie quietly confessed.</p><p>Sam shifted on the bed and put his muscular arm around his husband and pulled him in close, placing a kiss on his head.</p><p>"Our kids deserve a dad who is exactly like you. Someone who is determined and ambitious and kindhearted and can adapt to everything life throws his way. Someone who isn't afraid to tell it like it is, but is also the best shoulder to cry on," Sam told him. Artie looked up into Sam's eyes and gave a small, grateful smile. "Our kids won't care if you can kick a soccer ball with them in the yard- they'll want somebody who will love and accept them for who they are and all that they can be. You would be a father any kid would be lucky to have."</p><p>Artie's eyes filled up with grateful tears, causing him to let out a small giggle. Sam might have been notoriously bad with words, but sometimes- just sometimes- he knew how to say exactly the right thing.</p><p>"Okay."</p><p>Sam's face lit up and his eyes widened like a golden retriever who was about to be given a treat.</p><p>"Okay?!"</p><p>"Okay," Artie agreed with a smile.</p><p>Sam took Artie's face in his hands and brought him in for a passionate kiss. When they finally broke apart, Artie bit his lower lip and a smirk appeared on his face.</p><p>"We've gotta talk about the names Ace and Blaze though…"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you are all enjoying this story so far! Please leave me any reviews, thoughts, messages, and suggestions you have on this story! Reading your feedback really motivates me to continue writing! Thank you!</p><p>xoxo QuinnAbrams</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Three's A Crowd</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 4: Three's a Crowd</strong>
</p><p>"Pass me his stuffed animal," Artie said, more directing than asking, clearly exhausted as he balanced the fussy baby on his lap.</p><p>Sam did as he was told, handing Artie the stuffed bear that was closest to him. Artie took one glance at it and shook his head as their son began to cry even more.</p><p>"No, not the bear, the monkey! He hates the bear," Artie huffed, attempting to soothe the boy while Sam fetched the proper animal.</p><p>Their son, Asher Finn Abrams-Evans, was now nine months old, and while he was the greatest thing to happen to either of his dads, he was also the most exhausting. Even McConaughey had quickly grown annoyed by the constant screams and babbles of the baby.</p><p>Not long after their conversation in bed after dinner that night, Artie and Sam had begun to get serious about the fatherhood process. They discussed the option of adoption and egg donation before eventually determining that they would rather have the baby's biological mother be someone they knew, if possible. After comparing and contrasting their options for potential surrogates, they eventually decided to ask Quinn Fabray if she would donate her egg and carry a baby for them. Quinn had yet to find somebody and settle down, and- aside from Beth Corcoran- she hadn't had any children. Her acting career had been on a bit of a hiatus as well; she had booked a couple of small roles in TV shows and commercials but hadn't had her big break yet. So when Sam and Artie asked her to be their surrogate, Quinn happily obliged. She knew that her peak fertility years were passing her by, and also knew that if she was looking for a sperm donor in the future to father her own children, Artie and Sam would both agree without hesitation. The men mixed their sperm and, on her weekend trip to LA, Quinn was impregnated via turkey baster. A complete Rachel Berry conception story parallel.</p><p>Because of the way they went about the process, Sam and Artie were on edge during the entire pregnancy to see who the baby would look most like. They got their answer February 5- the day Quinn gave birth to the most adorable brown haired baby with the biggest blue eyes. A spawn of Artie, if you will.</p><p>It didn't take long for them to decide on a name either. Asher ("Ash" for short) was edgy enough that Sam was satisfied, but also not so uncommon and out-of-left-field that they would be judged by the media. When it came to choosing his middle name, there was no hesitation on either part to honor their late friend and leader- especially when he was born on the fifth day of the month. Sam and Artie knew that this was no coincidence; this was their quarterback saying hello from beyond.</p><p>The newborn stage was pretty simple (due to the fact that all infants do is sleep, eat, and poop), but as the months went on and Ash got older, they were getting less and less sleep and more and more wrinkles. He recently began teething and everyone in the house was a little cranky.</p><p>Sam handed Artie the blue stuffed monkey, instantly soothing the child. A sigh of relief was shared between his parents.</p><p>Sam glanced around their living area, which resembled the aftermath of an atomic bomb. He couldn't remember the last time it was clean, or- acknowledging the noticeable stench in the air- the last time he or Artie had showered. Fatherhood was really getting the best of them.</p><p>Sam and Artie both silently stared off into space as Asher's eyelids became heavy and he fell asleep in his Papa's arms. Emotionally drained but grateful for a moment of peace, Sam stood reluctantly and began organizing the toys and books that now consumed their home. Artie watched on in silence- torn between wanting to help out and not wanting to disturb the baby nuzzled in his lap.</p><p>"How are we gonna do this for eighteen years?" Artie asked, his voice void of any of its usual enthusiasm and emotion.</p><p>All Sam could do was shrug in response. He wished he had the answer himself.</p><p>When the room was all picked up, Sam sat back down beside Artie on the couch, McConaughey circling before settling down at his feet.</p><p>"We've gotta get a Christmas tree soon," Sam said out of the blue, nodding at the empty corner of the room across from where they sat.</p><p>Artie looked at his watch to see the date. How was it already nearly December?! These days sure do blend together.</p><p>"What we really have to do is decide whether we're spending the holidays here or in Lima," Artie replied, glancing over at his husband.</p><p>Sam just nodded and Artie could tell that he was unsure of what to do in this situation either.</p><p>Every year since they had gone off to New York after graduating high school, they always found their ways back to Ohio for Christmas. There was something about a stereotypical white Christmas and getting cozy by the fire with hot cocoa or eggnog that was just so irresistible. Since they have been married, Artie and Sam have established a routine of celebrating Christmas Eve at the Evans household and Christmas Day with the Abramses. On one hand, it killed Artie to think that his son's first Christmas may not be spent experiencing all of the same holiday traditions that he had enjoyed as a child. However, on the other hand, it was already difficult enough traveling when the chair was involved, and adding a fussy baby to the mix didn't seem too appealing. Nobody wants to be the person whose infant is having a meltdown on a cross country flight.</p><p>"I think we should go," Sam decided. "We can't let having a kid <em>completely</em> derail our lives. Plus we've still gotta introduce him to some members of our families and most of our friends from McKinley."</p><p>As much as he hated to admit it, Artie knew that Sam was right. Aside from their parents and siblings who were able to fly out to California shortly after Asher's birth, most of their extended families had yet to meet the little guy. In addition, it was almost an unspoken pact for the New Directions alumni to come home in late December and reunite for a "Rachel Berry House Party Train Wreck Extravaganza". Plus, Artie would be damned if he gave Santana Lopez the satisfaction of being right by showing her that having a kid had thrown him for a loop.</p><p>Artie nodded in agreement.</p><p>"Goin' home for the holidays, yo."</p><hr/><p>"Let the annual Rachel Berry House Party begin!" Rachel called, holding her drink in the air and receiving a cheer from her guests.</p><p>Rachel's parties were always <em>interesting</em>, to say the least, and only followed two rules: former New Directions members only, and drink like you're back in high school. This year's party was no different, and the attendees were glad to leave their kids and spouses for a night in with old friends. Rachel and Jesse had gone out and gotten a lot of alcohol for the event, but guests were encouraged to bring their own drink of choice as well.</p><p>The first hour always involved small sips and polite catching up with one another… but once the first person was tipsy, it was all downhill from there. And with Christmas Eve being tomorrow, it wouldn't be long until the basement was full of drunk twenty-somethings looking to escape the fact that they were back in their hometown.</p><p>"How was the flight from LA with the babe?" Tina asked Artie and Sam, taking a sip of her White Claw seltzer. She had met Asher for the first time earlier that morning when she ran into the couple getting their morning pick-me-up at The Lima Bean.</p><p>"Piece of cake," Sam shrugged, cracking open a Bud Light. "He slept the whole way here. He didn't even make a peep when we hit some turbulence."</p><p>Artie nodded in agreement, noticing the impressed look on Santana's face.</p><p>"I've gotta admit, Wheels and Trouty Mouth, I didn't peg you two as top contenders for Fathers of the Year, but you've proven me wrong," she conceded with a smile. "Congratulations, I'm impressed."</p><p>Artie and Sam shared a small smirk, each knowing the real truth behind the story Sam had just shared with their friends. While Ash was better than expected on the flight over, he sure wasn't quite as… <em>angelic</em> of a first-time traveler as Sam made him seem.</p><p>When Rachel suggested they begin karaoke, all of a sudden everybody was intoxicated and begging for their turn at the mic. Everyone's true high school alter egos resurfaced once they had a couple of drinks- Brittany was once again pretending she was a stripper, Mercedes, Kurt and Tina were giggling uncontrollably on the couch, and Quinn was visibly annoyed at Puckerman's continued advances in an attempt to get into her pants (yes… still).</p><p>Artie had slipped his younger sister a twenty on their way to the party to be their designated driver on call for party pickup duty in the wee hours of the morning. With their DD secured, Sam and Artie were free to get as wasted as their hearts desired- and boy did they do just that. After a drunken rendition of their crowd pleasing duet, Justin Bieber's <em>Somebody to Love</em>, Artie tipped himself over while attempting to dance to the music (his balance was impaired as it is, due to his paraplegia, and the alcohol was not helping). Instead of helping the poor inebriated soul back up, Brittany pushed his chair out of the way and lay down next to him, pulling her shirt over her head and helping Artie do the same. Sam and Santana were eager and ready with salt, limes, and tequila in hand to execute some body shots off of their half-naked lovers, as their friends cheered them on.</p><p>Just the thought of sitting upright made Artie dizzy and nauseous, so he opted to lounge on the floor for the remainder of the party. It wasn't a surprise to any of the boys when they found him asleep about ten minutes later- he was always the first to fall asleep at any given sleepover. But unlike high school, his buddies didn't paint his toenails (which was particularly easy due to the lack of sensation he had in the lower half of his body), and instead, somebody had propped his head up on a pillow and half-heartedly tossed a blanket over him so he could sleep peacefully as his friends danced around him.</p><p>When the party had died down, Sam called Brynn to swing by Rachel's and pick the two of them up. He knew that Artie was still in no condition to be wheeling himself around, so instead, Sam wrapped one arm around Artie's lower back and one under his legs and lifted him in the air. Artie immediately cuddled his head into the taller man's shoulder as Sam carried him up the stairs and outside. Mike Chang had followed closely behind carrying Artie's wheelchair.</p><p>"Holy. Shit," Brynn laughed at the sight of her brother-in-law carrying her brother like a toddler who was being taken to bed after falling asleep in the car.</p><p>She opened the car door for Sam as he carefully laid Artie down in the back seat. Mike stored Artie's chair in the trunk before heading back inside to tend to his own intoxicated spouse.</p><p>"Mom's gonna kill him," the eighteen-year-old laughed as Sam slid into the passenger seat beside her. "I have never seen him this wasted."</p><p>"He's the life of the party until he crashes," Sam replied, sober enough that he could form a coherent sentence, but drunk enough to where his vision was still slightly doubled.</p><p>The smirk on Brynn's face remained the entire drive across town, repeatedly glancing in her rearview mirror to steal glances at her big brother. Maybe he wasn't as perfect and well put together as she'd always thought.</p><hr/><p>"Hey Artie, wake up! It's Christmas!" Sam whisper-shouted to his sleeping husband, childlike excitement plastered on his face.</p><p>Artie groaned, pulling his pillow over his head. He wasn't trying to be a Scrooge, he was just still recovering (two days later) from the worst hangover of his life.</p><p>The couple and their son had been staying overnight at the Abrams' house since arriving in Ohio, knowing it was the most accessible for Artie to get around in. Artie's parents had invited Sam's family over for breakfast and presents so that they were all able to celebrate Asher's first Christmas together- on the condition that everyone remained in their pajamas.</p><p>"My folks are gonna be here any minute."</p><p>"Okay, okay. I'm up," Artie replied, sitting up and reaching for his glasses. He threw back the comforter and pulled his chair closer to the side of the bed before transferring into it and rolling towards the adjacent bathroom to complete his morning routine. When he was finished, he opened the door to find Sam lifting Ash out of the collapsable Pack 'n Play crib and pointing at Artie.</p><p>"Look who it is! Say 'Merry Christmas Papa!'" Sam cooed to their son, eliciting a happy babble from the baby.</p><p>Artie smiled and ran his fingers through his bed head as he took in the scene playing out before him; never in a million years did he think that he would be waking up on Christmas morning to Sam Evans and their son in his childhood bedroom. Funny how life works, isn't it?</p><p>Sam sat the ten-month-old on Artie's lap and gave his husband a kiss.</p><p>"Let's go see what Grandma, Grandpa, and Auntie Brynny are up to!" Artie said to Asher as the child reached up to grab his father's glasses, smudging his chubby fingers over the lenses.</p><p>Artie expertly maneuvered his chair out the door and down the hallway leading to the kitchen. He had become a pro at wheeling himself while also holding onto the squirmy baby.</p><p>"Merry Christmas, boys!" Artie's dad called when he saw the trio approach.</p><p>"Merry Christmas!" Sam and Artie said back in unison as Brynn scooped Asher out of Artie's lap and showed him the freshly fallen coat of snow out the window.</p><p>As if on cue, the doorbell rang signaling the arrival of Dwight, Mary, Stevie, and Stacey. The in-laws embraced one another, as the kids exchanged a somewhat awkward hello. Stevie and Brynn were both seniors at McKinley, and Stacey was a sophomore. Despite the fact that the marriage between their brothers made them practically family, it didn't make spending Christmas morning together in pajamas any less weird.</p><p>After opening presents and enjoying a breakfast of homemade waffles and fruit salad, the families retreated to the Abrams' living room that was decorated with torn apart wrapping paper and holiday cheer. Ash was being passed around from family member to family member, giving Artie and Sam time to relax and enjoy their coffee (or in Artie's case, nurse his lingering hangover headache).</p><p>Asher was set on the carpet in front of his abundance of new toys, but in typical toddler fashion, he wasn't interested in any of them. He slowly crawled his way over to where his Daddy sat on the couch and his Papa beside him in his chair.</p><p>"Awwww! Look! He's standing!" Stacey pointed, as her nephew reached up and took a firm grasp of the push rim of Artie's wheel and lifted himself up.</p><p>"Yeah, he started doing that a couple of weeks ago," Sam replied. "By the time he's two, his arms are going to be so buff from all of the pull ups!"</p><p>"It's adorable," Nancy Abrams responded, taking her phone out to snap a picture. "I think I have a similar picture of Brynn using Artie's chair to stand when she was around Asher's age!"</p><p>"I'm honored to be of assistance for everyone's childhood milestones," Artie joked, earning him a laugh from those in the room.</p><p>The adults resumed their previous conversation before Stacey interrupted again, pointing at Ash. This time he was across the room from his dads and had used his grandfather's leg to pull himself up.</p><p>"Look! Look!"</p><p>Everyone's attention once again returned to the blue eyed brunette boy who smiled a drooly grin that showed off his two bottom teeth as he carefully lifted one foot. Then another.</p><p>"Camera, camera, camera!" Artie repeated under his breath, holding his hand out to Sam, but unable to take his eyes off of what was happening in front of him.</p><p>Sam reached over to grab Artie's video camera and hit record before handing it to the shorter man. Artie focused the lens on his subject and watched through the viewfinder as Asher clumsily stomped across the room.</p><p>"Come here, Ash! Come to Daddy!" Sam called to his son with his arms out. The Abrams and Evans families cheered as Asher giggled and continued to put one foot in front of the other until he reached Sam's arms.</p><p>"Yes! You did it!" Sam yelled, lifting Ash in the air in an "airplane" style in celebration as Artie captured the whole thing on video.</p><p>Tears welled up in Artie's eyes as he became completely overwhelmed with emotion. Upon witnessing this momentous event of his son's, his mind immediately went back to his junior year of high school. Mr. Schue had sat everyone in Glee Club down after Dave Karofsky had attempted suicide and asked them all what they were looking forward to in the future. Artie remembered being a little embarrassed after giving his answer, but regardless, it was the truth.</p><p>"<em>I want to be there to see my kid's first steps."</em></p><p>He had done just that, and it felt just as amazing as he dreamed that it would.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>gigundoly~ I couldn't help but include the details from your fic "Never Going Back Again" about how the boys always torture Artie at sleepovers because he is the first to fall asleep! ;) I hope you don't mind me including that detail in here!</p><p>I hope you are all enjoying this story so far! Please leave me any reviews, thoughts, messages, and suggestions you have on this story! Reading your feedback really motivates me to continue writing! Thank you!</p><p>xoxo QuinnAbrams</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Heart to Heart</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 5: Heart to Heart</strong>
</p><p>"And… cut!" Artie called to the actors and crew. "That's a wrap for today, folks. See y'all bright and early in the mornin'!"</p><p>Artie removed the headset he was wearing and passed it to one of the Production Assistants. He unlocked his wheels and said his goodbyes before pushing open the door of Stage 5 and exiting into the late afternoon California sun. It was unusual that he was off work so early on a weeknight, so he was excited to be able to enjoy dinner and a movie night with his boys.</p><p>His current project was an action movie starring Tom Cruise and Natalie Portman, and its release was highly anticipated by the media and the general public. Artie couldn't help but think of how lucky he was to be working with such amazing and iconic members of the industry- he sure had come a long way since his early days of directing at McKinley High.</p><p>Artie wheeled himself across the Universal Studios lot to where his car was parked in the closest handicapped spot. He opened the door and transferred into the driver's seat before dismantling his chair and stowing it behind him. He plugged his cell phone into the aux cord and queued up his R&amp;B playlist. As he drove off the lot, he was grateful that home was only a short ten minute drive from the studios.</p><hr/><p>"Surprise!" Artie called, wheeling in the door, a box of pizza on his lap. He hadn't told Sam or Asher that he was going to be home early and was looking forward to seeing the look of shock on their faces.</p><p>"We're in the living room," he heard Sam say.</p><p>Well, that wasn't quite the greeting he had been hoping for. Artie set the bag containing his laptop, script, and director's notes on the floor before heading towards where Sam's voice had come from.</p><p>"I thought y'all would be a little more excited to see me, jeez. I picked us up a pizza for dinner on my way home, and I-" Artie was saying as he rolled in the room, stopping mid-sentence when he saw the troubled look on his husband's face paired with the tear-stained one of his son's. "What's wrong?"</p><p>"Rough day on the playground," Sam stated simply, looking over at Asher who nodded in agreement.</p><p>Asher, now six, had started kindergarten the previous fall. Artie and Sam had toured a plethora of private K-12 schools in the area to find the best fit for their son, and he was thriving. A social butterfly just like his Daddy, he had already made tons of friends, and, like his Papa, he was one of the smartest kids in his class. The fact that he had come home from school upset was particularly worrisome to his dads.</p><p>"Wanna tell me about it, buddy?" Artie asked with concern, placing the pizza box on the coffee table and locking his brakes before moving onto the couch to sit next to his son.</p><p>Asher looked up at him quickly before looking back down at his hands resting in his lap, unable to meet Artie's eyes.</p><p>"Today in art class, Mrs. Torres had us draw pictures of our families so that they can hang them up for Parents Day tomorrow," Asher explained. Artie nodded in understanding, encouraging the boy to continue.</p><p>"And so I was drawing a picture of our family, but then Matthew asked me where my mommy was. And I told him that I don't have a mommy because I have two daddies. Then Josh and Kyle came over and told me that I have to have a mommy or else I couldn't have been borned. Even though I tried to tell them that some families have a mommy and a daddy, and some have two mommies, and some have two daddies, they wouldn't listen to me."</p><p>Artie nodded again, making eye contact with Sam before attempting to comfort his son. They knew that when Asher started school chances were that sooner or later some ignorant little kid would give him crap about his family life just because it didn't fit the "typical" family mold.</p><p>"Sometimes kids say things that they don't really mean. And if they do mean them, maybe they just don't understand," Artie tried to explain.</p><p><em>Leave it to Artie to only see the good in people… even those closed-minded little Beverly Hills brats</em>, Sam thought to himself.</p><p>"They don't know that your Daddy helps kids that are sick or hurt feel better by playing music with them. Or that your Papa is super famous and handsome and smart and makes awesome movies!"</p><p>"Don't flatter yourself," Sam cut in dramatically, causing Ash to smile a tiny bit.</p><p>"They don't know anything about us, or how much we love you. So, who cares what they think?" Artie asked.</p><p>The small smile that was on Asher's face had faded as quickly as it appeared, and he still looked sad. This was very unlike his usual happy-go-lucky demeanor, so Artie could tell that Ash was really down.</p><p>"Is there something else bothering you?"</p><p>Ash turned his head to glance in Sam's direction, silently pleading for him to take over the conversation, before burying his face in Artie's lap. He knew that the next part of the story was going to hurt his Papa's feelings, and he couldn't bear to watch it happen.</p><p>Sam cleared his throat before picking up where his son had left off.</p><p>"The boys, uh, then asked about your chair."</p><p>Artie's heart sped up a little bit. He wasn't shocked by the bluntness of six-year-olds, but he knew that this conversation could have gone one of two ways: either the boys would just shrug it off once Asher told them the story and return to their own drawings, or they would continue to tease him about a circumstance that was out of his control. Something inside of Artie told him it was the latter. Artie put an arm around the boy snuggled at his side and rubbed his back, nodding at Sam to carry on with the story.</p><p>"Ash told them that you had hurt your back when you were a little kid, and, because of that, now you can't move your legs... The boys then said that you must not be a very good dad because only half of you works. Ash tried to tell them that even though you use a wheelchair to get around, it doesn't mean that you're not the best dad in the world, but they wouldn't let it go."</p><p>Artie swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat. He was used to the bullying, the stares, and the names- there wasn't anything anyone could call him that he hadn't heard in the halls of McKinley High from either Sue Sylvester or the jocks- but his son wasn't. Artie was Asher's dad, wheelchair or not, and he never knew him any differently. It must be so hard for him to comprehend why his classmates don't see his dad the way he does.</p><p>Artie thought for a minute before he used his hand to lift Asher's chin so that he could look him in the eye.</p><p>"Sometimes parents don't teach their kids about differences- they just think that everyone should be the same as everybody else."</p><p>"That world would be so <em>boring</em>," Ash replied, wrinkling his nose in confusion.</p><p>"Exactly," Artie agreed. "Some kids are taught that the things that make us different from one another are bad things. When in reality, diversity is what makes life worth living. It shouldn't matter if you have two daddies, or one daddy, or no daddies- what should matter is how your daddies raise you. Are they raising you to be brave? Honest? Compassionate?"</p><p>Asher nodded.</p><p>"Then your daddies are raising you the right way," Sam said. "Do you love Papa even though he can't walk?"</p><p>Asher instantly nodded again, as if that was the silliest question in the world.</p><p>"Then it shouldn't matter what those boys in your class think. If you love me the way I am, then that is enough for me," Artie told him. "My disability doesn't define who I am. When I was little like you, it made me sad that the wheelchair seemed to turn other kids away. It made them think I was strange, so they avoided me. It wasn't until I got a little older that I realized that this thing," he pointed to his vacant red and black chair that sat across from him, "is just my way of getting around. Without it, I wouldn't have any mobility or independence."</p><p>Ash absorbed the vulnerable story his father had just shared with him.</p><p>"I am who I am because of my past. If I didn't get in my accident, I wouldn't have turned to music and joined Glee Club. And if that didn't happen, I wouldn't have found my love for directing <em>or</em> my love for Daddy!"</p><p>The little boy stuck his tongue out at the lovey-dovey glance his fathers were sharing.</p><p>"And for what it's worth, I <em>can't wait</em> to see the photo you drew of our family tomorrow at Parents Day!" Artie said, ruffling Asher's hair.</p><p>"You're coming?!" he asked with surprise in his voice as his jaw dropped and his blue eyes widened.</p><p>"You know it, yo! I wouldn't miss it for the world!"</p><p>Sure, Artie was going to have to send out a mass email to the cast and crew asking to stall production for a few hours (they couldn't work without their director, after all), but it would kill him to be absent when his son needed his support most. Family first, work second.</p><p>"Well, now that we've got that cleared up… Anyone hungry for some half Hawaiian, half cheese pizza?"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you are all enjoying this story so far! Please leave me any reviews, thoughts, messages, and suggestions you have on this story! Reading your feedback really motivates me to continue writing! Thank you!</p><p>xoxo QuinnAbrams</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Parents Day</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 6: Parents Day</strong>
</p><p>"Here we are!" Asher announced as he led his fathers into his kindergarten classroom. They had arrived right on time, but somehow the school was already bustling with young children and their parents.</p><p>"Wow, Buddy, I love it!" Artie said as he wheeled in the doorway, Sam not far behind.</p><p>"Cool! Show us around!" Sam said, taking his son by the hand.</p><p>"This is the rug where we have circle time and read stories," Ash pointed to the circular rug with an alphabet design on it. "And this is Peanut! She's our class pet! Isn't she so cute?" the boy pointed to a guinea pig in a cage on the window sill.</p><p>"Oh, yeah, the cutest," Artie said nonchalantly to validate his son before shuddering as he wheeled away. Rodents gave him the heebie-jeebies.</p><p>"Hey, Asher!" a little boy Artie didn't recognize excitedly greeted his son. "Wanna come play Legos with me and Oliver?"</p><p>"Yeah!" Ash's face lit up before waving goodbye to his parents and running off with his friend. "See ya, Dads!"</p><p>Artie and Sam waved him off before laughing to one another.</p><p>"Well that lasted a solid two minutes," Sam said, shaking his head.</p><p>Artie and Sam headed towards the bulletin board that was covered with the kids' family portraits. The men scoured the wall looking for the crayon drawing that resembled their family.</p><p>"Ah! Found it!" Artie smiled, pointing up to a picture that was just out of his reach. He could clearly make out the tall blonde man that was supposed to be Sam, and, beside him, a smaller boy with brown hair. Artie was drawn on the opposite side of Asher, his black framed glasses and meticulously drawn wheelchair giving him away.</p><p>"Ha! He really nailed the chair, didn't he?" Sam admired as Artie nodded. "Look, even McConaughey made it! Alright, alright, alright!"</p><p>Artie turned around to scout out the rest of the classroom, but his attention was drawn to a group of prissy mothers decked out in Gucci purses and matching belts whose eyes were fixed in his direction. They had clearly had a lot of work done, and even though the Botox had made their wrinkle-free faces mostly expressionless, he could still recognize the looks they were casting in his direction as a mixture of snobbiness and pity. Artie spun back around and rolled his eyes. He understood the curious stares he constantly received from little kids when they first saw the chair, but when adults can't tear their eyes away… it's just uncomfortable for everyone. The parents who acted this way are usually the same ones who teach their kids that being different is a bad thing. Artie shook his head at the thought as Sam finished admiring the kids' artwork.</p><p>Sam, ever the extrovert, headed towards the group of moms, leaving Artie no choice but to follow. The women's facial expressions changed slightly at the sight of the handsome blonde DILF approaching them.</p><p>"Hey ladies, how's it going?" Sam asked before sticking out his hand. "Sam Evans, Asher's dad."</p><p>"Sarah Cook," a tall blonde woman (who had been one of the gawkers just a few minutes before) replied with a small smile. Artie couldn't help but notice that his plastic surgery hypothesis had been right- there was no denying that this woman definitely had lip fillers… and bad ones at that.</p><p>She then politely stuck her hand out in Artie's direction as well, shooting him a glance that silently said that she believed she was superior.</p><p>"Artie," he introduced himself with a fake smile in return. "Nice to meet you."</p><p>"And which one is yours?" Sarah asked, glancing in the direction of where many of the children played.</p><p>Artie and Sam exchanged a confused look before Artie answered.</p><p>"Asher…" Artie replied, trying to stifle a smile. Had this woman not seen him and Sam walking around the room together?! Did she just think that they were really good friends?!</p><p>"Oh… so you two are…" she trailed off, glancing between the two men.</p><p>"Married? Yes," Artie answered. This lady was already getting on his nerves big time. "Is that an issue?"</p><p>"Oh, no! I love the gays," Sarah assured them, placing an unwelcome hand on Artie's shoulder. "It's just a shame the boy has to grow up without a mother, is all. But I'm sure you two are doing a fine job."</p><p>Sam could practically see the steam blowing out of Artie's ears. He could tell he wanted to flip out at this woman- the only thing holding him back was knowing that this was not the time and place to cause a ruckus.</p><p>"And which little cherub is yours?" Artie asked through gritted teeth.</p><p>"Matthew," she replied pointing out her son in the group of children.</p><p>Bingo.</p><p>Artie and Sam shared a knowing glance. They recognized that name. Matthew was one of the little brats that had been giving Ash a hard time about his dads the day before. Now, everything made sense. There was no question where he had learned his ignorant comments from- his mother was just slightly homophobic.</p><p>Just then, their conversation was interrupted by a woman with short dark hair ringing a bell from the front of the room to get everyone's attention.</p><p>"Hi everybody, and welcome to Parents Day! To those I haven't gotten the chance to greet yet this morning, I am Mrs. Torres, and I am delighted to be your children's kindergarten teacher this year. We have created portfolios of some schoolwork, as well as decorated our classroom with some of our favorite art projects to display. There are some light refreshments on my desk for your enjoyment, and I hope I get the chance to speak with each of you individually about the bright shining star you are raising!"</p><p>When she was finished, the parents in the room politely clapped and the kids returned to their games.</p><p>A few minutes later, the teacher approached the group and turned to Sam and Artie with a warm smile.</p><p>"Hi, I don't think we've met yet! I'm Mrs. Torres," the woman introduced herself.</p><p>"I'm Artie Abrams and this is my husband, Sam," Artie replied, this time making it abundantly clear that they were together. "We're Ash's dads."</p><p>Mrs. Torres' face lit up at the mention of their boy.</p><p>"Oh, Asher is such a joy to have in class!" she gushed. "He is a very polite little boy, and he is immensely curious! He absorbs information like a little sponge!"</p><p>Sam laughed and thrust his thumb in Artie's direction</p><p>"He gets that from him."</p><p>Artie blushed.</p><p>"Well, I'm sure that you've also noticed that he can talk your ear off for hours. He gets that from him," Artie said with a smirk and head tilt towards Sam.</p><p>Mrs. Torres laughed and nodded.</p><p>"Well, I have to go mingle with some of the other parents, but it was so nice to meet the men who raised one of the most helpful and caring children I've ever had the pleasure to teach!"</p><p>Sam and Artie thanked her for her kind words as they said their goodbyes. Before the men could finish their self-guided tour around the classroom, Sarah stopped them by putting a hand on Artie's arm.</p><p>"I'm sorry, did you say that you're Artie Abrams? As in the director?"</p><p>"That's me."</p><p>"What a small world! I'm an actress! I've auditioned for your projects before, but usually, they weren't the right fit," she explained. Artie shifted uncomfortably in his seat while forcing a smile. "Maybe we can work together in the future, seeing as though our boys are such good friends."</p><p>Such good friends?! No, your little rugrat is the reason my kid came home in tears yesterday! Artie wanted to shout in her face.</p><p>That's usually how it went; Artie was always finding himself being looked down upon until people found out the power he had acquired within the industry. Then, like magic, suddenly everyone claims to be his best friend. Nice try, but a hard pass.</p><p>Lucky for him, Asher bounded over to his dads before Artie could reply.</p><p>"Daddy, Papa! Do you wanna see my desk?"</p><p>"Sure do, Bud! Lead the way!" Sam replied, ruffling his hair.</p><p>Asher took both of his dads by the hand and led them over towards where he did his schoolwork.</p><p>"Nice to meet you!" Artie politely called over his shoulder to the vile mother.</p><p>When they reached his desk, Asher proudly presented his portfolio of work to his dads. Sam quickly skimmed through the pages, stopping every now and then to praise Ash on his hand-drawn illustrations.</p><p>"Daddy, come over here! I wanna show you the books we have!" Asher's boundless energy and ability to be easily distracted had definitely been inherited from Sam. Sam followed close behind as Asher skipped over to the classroom's library.</p><p>However, Artie, ever the eager student, took his time reading through his son's work. Asher's spelling was far advanced for his grade level, and his handwriting was surprisingly legible for a six-year-old.</p><p>Artie flipped the page he was reading and was shocked by what he found on the next page. A good kind of shock, though.</p><p>The prompt was "If I wished upon a star, I would wish for…" and the kids were instructed to write down their wish and color a picture of it. Knowing his son, Artie would have expected his wish to be for a football, or a guitar, or a new video game.</p><p>That was not what Asher wrote.</p><p>Beneath the heading, in a kindergartener's handwriting, was "a baby sister or brother".</p><p>Ash had illustrated another family photo- immaculately drawn wheelchair and all- but this time, there was a baby between him and McConaughey.</p><p>Artie and Sam had been toying with the idea of expanding their family recently, as they both knew that they eventually wanted to have more kids. However, their only hesitation was that they didn't know how Asher would take it. He had been an only child for his entire life and was used to having his doting daddies' undivided attention. They didn't want to all of a sudden spring such a life-changing event on him.</p><p>"Sam!" Artie called over to his husband and gestured for him to come over. Sam did a slow little jog and ran a hand through his hair.</p><p>"What's up?"</p><p>"Look what your son wrote."</p><p>"If I wished upon a star, I would wish for…" his voice trailed off and his eyes widened as he silently read the rest of the sentence.</p><p>"Oh. Oh! OH."</p><p>Artie and Sam both broke out into matching hopeful smiles. Sam did a double take at what he just read.</p><p>"I guess it's a go then."</p><p>"I guess so."</p><p>"I'm gonna… go take a call," Artie said, raising an eyebrow.</p><p>"I'll be here when you're done," Sam replied with a doofy grin.</p><p>Artie then wheeled out of the classroom and into the hallway, taking his phone out of his pocket and dialing a number he knew by heart.</p><p>"Hello?" came the familiar sound of the woman's slightly raspy voice on the other end of the line.</p><p>"Hey, Q! It's Artie. Listen, I have a favor to ask…"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you guys enjoyed that short &amp; sweet fluff chapter :) Looks like our boys will be dads again!</p><p>I hope you are all enjoying this story so far! Please leave me any reviews, thoughts, messages, and suggestions you have on this story! Reading your feedback really motivates me to continue writing! Thank you!</p><p>xoxo QuinnAbrams</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 7: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner</strong>
</p><p>"And what would that favor be, Mr. Hollywood?" Quinn laughed on the other end of the line.</p><p>Artie decided not to dance around the point and to just rip the band-aid off and get it over with. This topic of conversation was always awkward, despite the fact that the two friends had known each other since childhood.</p><p>"Would you be willing to carry again for us? That is, if you're so inclined, of course. And if your schedule allows- dammit!" Artie cursed himself and the word vomit he tends to spew when he gets anxious. "I don't even know what you're up to these days, Q! If you're crazy busy, we totally understand, and I could probably call Tina-"</p><p>Quinn's contagious laughter filled his ear, cutting him off mid-sentence.</p><p>"Artie, relax. Yes, my schedule is free, and yes, I would love to help you guys make some more beautiful babies," she assured him. Artie breathed a sigh of both relief and happiness at Quinn's response.</p><p>"I was just about to call you as well, but for a totally different reason," Quinn continued before Artie could thank her over and over for surrendering her body to them for nine months of her life. "I'm actually at the airport right now. I'm coming to LA."</p><p>Artie's eyes widened in surprise.</p><p>"What for?"</p><p>"To live. I've grown tired of the cold and the hustle and bustle of the city. After doing Broadway and little commercials here and there, I've decided that a change of scenery and pace might be good for me," she explained.</p><p>"Oh, wow! I'm so happy for you! That's amazing! When does your flight get in? I can grab you from the airport if you need it," he offered, overexcited at the idea of being reunited with his old friend.</p><p>"I get in close to midnight, because of the layover," she told him. "But, actually, Mercedes is picking me up. I'm staying at her place for a little bit until I can find an apartment of my own."</p><p>"Okay, great! I'm not filming this weekend; you should come over for dinner! I'll make my famous lasagna, and we can catch up!" Artie invited.</p><p>"That sounds great, I'll be there!" Quinn accepted. Artie could hear a man's voice over the airport's intercom system muffled in the background. "Artie, I've gotta go. My flight is boarding, but I will see you tomorrow?"</p><p>"See you then. Have a safe flight, Q," Artie told her.</p><p>He ended the call and returned the phone to his pocket. With a smile, he turned his chair and headed back into Asher's classroom, eager to enjoy the rest of the morning with his boys.</p><hr/><p>Artie was getting the lasagna he had made out of the oven when he heard the doorbell ring.</p><p>"I'LL GET IT!" Asher yelled as he ran down the stairs and towards the front door. Artie set down the hot dish he was holding and slipped off the oven mitt before following his son over to the foyer.</p><p>Asher opened the front door, revealing Quinn, looking as gorgeous as ever. She was wearing a floral dress and a single strand of pearls around her neck. Her blonde hair was curled and framed her face perfectly. Her green eyes sparkled when she saw the boy.</p><p>"Hi!" Asher greeted the woman, giving her a big hug.</p><p>"Hello there, Ash! How are you? You've gotten so big since I last saw you!" Quinn told the boy, with a big smile.</p><p>"I'm as tall as Papa now! Look!" Ash said as he stepped back and stood next to Artie's chair, raising his hand to the top of his head and moving it back and forth between him and Artie.</p><p>Quinn giggled at Artie's playful eyeroll, noticing the smirk on his face. The six-year-old was, indeed, just about as tall as Artie was when he was seated in his wheelchair.</p><p>"Wow, you <em>are</em> big!" Quinn remarked as Asher ran off to take his spot at the dinner table.</p><p>As the boy left the room, Quinn tilted her head and smiled looking down at Artie. A signature toothy dimpled grin appeared on his face.</p><p>"Come here, woman!" Artie said, raising his arms up, inviting Quinn in for a big hug.</p><p>"I've missed you," she told him sincerely as she accepted. She had forgotten what a great hugger Artie was. Even though they never dated, for some unknown reason, his arms felt like home.</p><p>When they finally broke apart, Artie led her into the kitchen.</p><p>"Ms. Fabray!" Sam greeted her, pausing his duty of filling up each guest's water glasses to bring his former girlfriend in for an embrace. "Good to have ya on the West Coast! Finally!"</p><p>"It was getting pretty lonely out East," she admitted, taking her seat at the table across from Asher.</p><p>Sam retrieved everyone's beverages and set them down as Artie placed the dish of lasagna down to enjoy. Sam and Artie took their respective spots at the heads of the table; one of the chairs had been removed so that Artie was able to just roll in with his wheelchair, Quinn noticed.</p><p>As they ate dinner, Quinn had filled them in on her life in The Big Apple. She had done both <em>Waitress</em> and <em>Beautiful: The Carole King Musical</em> on Broadway, playing the lead in both. She had become quite renowned in the theatre world, but she was ready for a change. Quinn had only come for short stays in Los Angeles on the rare occasion that she booked a small role in a television show, so she was excited about what the new city has in store for her.</p><p>"How're Rachel and Jesse? As annoying and showtune-y as ever?" Sam asked with a small smile, taking a bite out of his meal.</p><p>Quinn rolled her eyes with a smile.</p><p>"They're good. And, yes, they somehow still haven't gotten bored with Broadway yet," Quinn informed them. "Same goes for Kurt and Blaine. I saw them a lot when Blaine and I were in <em>Waitress</em> together- he played my husband- but we've all been busy. It was harder to find time for all of us to see each other than we had imagined."</p><p>"Well, lucky for you, you've come to the right place," Artie told her, eliciting a laugh from his husband across the table. "All of us Cali kids can't go a full week without each other. You're gonna be seeing a lot more of us, Brittany, Santana, Mercedes, and Puck than you were probably hoping for."</p><p>He could tell that the smile that appeared on Quinn's face was genuine.</p><p>"Good. I've missed you guys," she said before slightly changing the direction of the conversation. "I'm actually getting coffee with Noah tomorrow."</p><p>Artie raised an eyebrow at this news. She and Puck had a past- a <em>long</em> past- and he didn't want to see her get hurt. He'd known Puck almost as long as he had Quinn; even though they are both his friends, Artie could easily recognize that Quinn was much too good for Puck. Yet, somehow, she always found her way back to him.</p><p>"He's in the final stages of a script for a new movie being shot around the corner at Warner Brothers," she explained, noticing the look of surprise on her friend's face. "He wants me to meet with the casting director, as he said he wrote a part with me in mind." Artie could tell she was flattered, yet still hesitant about the meeting with her ex.</p><p>Asher, eager to be included in the adults' conversation, began telling Quinn and his dads about the playdate he'd gone on earlier in the day. Like his Daddy, Ash was able to easily charm and command the attention of his company. He loved telling story after story, complete with impressions and all. Artie would be lying if he said that he didn't love having somebody else with Sam's personality running around the house.</p><hr/><p>After they had finished dinner and cleaned up their dishes, it was Ash's bedtime, much to his dismay. He could have talked Quinn's ear off for hours more, excited to have someone new in his audience for the night.</p><p>"Alright Ash, it's bedtime, Buddy," Sam said, ruffling the boy's hair. "You'll be seeing a lot more of Auntie Quinn now that she's moving here! Give her a hug, then we've gotta go brush our teeth."</p><p>Asher pouted and gave Quinn a quick hug before retreating upstairs, Sam by his side. Sam had volunteered to be on bedtime duty tonight, giving Artie a little time alone with their guest. Artie and Quinn had known each other since preschool, and though they hadn't always been as close as they are now, Sam wanted to give them some time to themselves.</p><p>The pair relocated from the kitchen to the living room. Quinn took a seat on the couch and watched as Artie set the brakes on his chair and used his hands to move his feet off the footrest. She couldn't help but feel guilty as she watched her friend use his arms to transfer his body to the spot on the couch beside her. For months during her senior year, that had been her. And Artie was there to help her adjust to life as a paraplegic and cheered her on as she combatted every struggle. But unlike Artie, her condition hadn't been permanent, and she slowly began to regain sensation and movement before making a full recovery. But even after just those few months, she now knows the struggles Artie faces every day with accessibility, ableism, and just the day-to-day inconveniences that come with using a wheelchair. Quinn couldn't help but feel a little bit of survivor's guilt. They were in similar accidents, they had the same lengthy rough scars that ran down their spines; yet somehow, God favored Quinn enough to let her walk away while Artie was stuck in a chair for the rest of his life. <em>Why is that?</em> She knew Artie didn't think of it that way- he had accepted his disability long ago and was happy for her when she recovered- but Quinn couldn't suppress the remorse.</p><p>"Asher's something, isn't he?" Artie laughed, pulling Quinn from her thoughts.</p><p>Quinn smiled.</p><p>"He looks just like you did when you were his age, only with Sam's boisterous personality," she remarked.</p><p>"Hey, we can't take all the credit! He's got a little of you in there too, you know," Artie told her, causing the blonde to blush. "He's practical, headstrong, and a little manipulative, too."</p><p>Both of them laughed as Quinn playfully gave Artie's knee a light slap.</p><p>"You're the worst," she giggled.</p><p>"I'm just telling the truth, yo! Honest Abrams, if you will," he smiled that grin that she loved so much. His teeth were seriously perfect. Quinn hoped Asher would grow up to have perfect teeth like his.</p><p>"Are you ever going to have any kids of your own?" Artie asked with curiosity in his voice. "You know, after Sam and I stop using you for our own babies, of course."</p><p>Quinn laughed again and played with a loose strand of her blonde curls.</p><p>"I don't know if I'm meant to be a mom," she answered honestly. "I'm happy that I'm able to bring life, like Beth and Asher, into this world, but I always imagined that if I had kids of my own, it would be with the love of my life. So, I guess until I settle down for real, I won't be able to fully answer that question."</p><p>Artie nodded in understanding.</p><p>"Well, if you ever want to have kids on your own, you know where to find me," he said with a wink that caused a smile and playful eyeroll from the girl. "We make some pretty cute babies if you haven't noticed."</p><p>Artie put an arm around Quinn and pulled her close. Quinn rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. Artie was one of the only guys who never made her feel pressured to get with him. Artie was just kind, caring, the best listener, and… just, well, Artie.</p><p>"I've missed you."</p><p>"I've missed you too, Q."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you are all enjoying this story so far! Please leave me any reviews, thoughts, messages, and suggestions you have on this story! Reading your feedback really motivates me to continue writing! Thank you!</p><p>xoxo QuinnAbrams</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Girl Dads</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 8: Girl Dads</strong>
</p><p>A couple of months later, Artie strolled into the entrance of the OB's office. He and Sam planned to meet here on their lunch breaks so that they could both be present for Quinn's appointment. She had her first ultrasound earlier on in her pregnancy to make sure that everything was developing smoothly, but she had gone alone. Since she was already 12 weeks, Artie and Sam were eager to tag along to see their baby on the screen and find out its gender. Since Asher was very obviously Artie's biological son, no paternity test necessary, they decided to only use Sam's sperm to impregnate Quinn this time around.</p><p>Artie quickly pushed his chair into the waiting room, and when he didn't see Quinn and Sam, he began to panic. Glancing at the clock, he realized he was later than he thought. Artie approached the front desk- which was a lot taller than he was- and asked the receptionist which exam room Quinn was in. The lady had a grouchy look on her face as she peered over the desk at Artie. She looked him up and down before telling him that they were in Room 3. Artie thanked her and headed in the direction she pointed.</p><p>Artie knocked, and after receiving a "Come in!" from inside, he opened the door to find Quinn sitting on the exam table and Sam seated in a chair next to her. The doctor briefly looked up from her laptop to give Artie a small smile.</p><p>"What's happenin'?" Artie greeted them as he entered the exam room, giving Quinn a kiss on the hand and Sam a fist bump.</p><p>"Artie Abrams, nice to meet you," Artie said, sticking his hand out to introduce himself to the doctor.</p><p>"Dr. Fields," the short blonde woman said in return.</p><p>"You're late, Mr. Hollywood," Quinn scolded Artie, giving him a playfully annoyed look and using the nickname she had called him since he decided he wanted to pursue directing.</p><p>"Sorry, yo! That last scene took more takes than we were expecting," he admitted, maneuvering his chair so that it was next to where Sam was seated and locked his brakes.</p><p>"You're right on time, actually," Dr. Fields told him. "We're just about to begin."</p><p>The doctor lifted up Quinn's shirt, revealing her small but noticeable bump. She squirted the blue jelly-like substance onto Quinn's skin and waved around the wand attached to the ultrasound machine. The doctor studied the monitor as she moved her hand all over Quinn's belly. Artie shivered at the thought of how weird that must feel.</p><p>"Ah! There's the heartbeat, and here's the little one right here," Dr. Fields said, turning the monitor and pointing out the alien creature that was apparently a baby on the black and white screen.</p><p>"Aw, Sam! It looks just like you!" Artie looked at his husband with a dubious grin.</p><p>Sam gently shoved the smaller man's head to the side, setting his glasses slightly askew. Quinn rolled her eyes and shook her head at the doctor. Here she was, a grown adult woman with her grown adult friends, and they were acting like teenage boys. Sometimes it feels like she really did have two kids of her own.</p><p>The doctor laughed before returning her attention to the ultrasound monitor. She gave a quiet surprised gasp before saying:</p><p>"And here's a second heartbeat!"</p><p>Quinn and Artie both immediately snapped their heads up to gawk at the OB in shock.</p><p>"What?!" they said in unison.</p><p>"Our baby has two hearts?! We're having a freak baby?!" Sam panicked.</p><p>"No, Sam… We're having… twins," Artie quietly stated. His face turned even paler than it already was and he suddenly felt the same way he had when he and Brittany had a pregnancy scare sophomore year.</p><p>"Congratulations, boys. It looks to me like you are expecting twin girls," Dr. Fields stated.</p><p>All of the color had drained from both of their faces and Artie's jaw hung loosely towards the floor. Quinn closed her eyes and massaged her temples. She felt a headache coming on as she imagined herself giving birth to two babies, while simultaneously silently thanking God she wouldn't have to be the one chasing these kids around as toddlers. The newborn stage is hard enough with one baby- Quinn would be lying if she said she wasn't <em>a little bit</em> relieved that they weren't going to be her responsibility once they left the womb.</p><p>Sam was the first one to speak up eventually.</p><p>"I mean… I always knew I had strong swimmers, but I didn't think they were working overtime like that."</p><p>Artie didn't even have the energy to laugh at his husband's innocent comment. Asher had grown up so much that Artie barely remembered what it was like to have an infant. The past six years have felt more like a million, but what he did remember from being a first-time parent was that it is <em>hard</em>. And now they were gonna have double the dirty diapers, double the tantrums, and half the sleep. And only a couple of months to prepare.</p><hr/><p>A week or so later, after the initial shock of the twin news had worn off, Artie and Sam got right to work preparing the nursery, with help from Asher, who was thrilled to be getting two baby sisters, and their other friends.</p><p>The room was painted light pink, and it took an entire day for Sam, Artie, and Puck to assemble two matching white cribs and a changing table. Santana and Brittany had brought over a box of Valerie's hand-me-down baby clothes for the girls to wear, and Mercedes and Quinn sat back and watched the pandemonium unfold.</p><p>"We should start to talk about names," Artie randomly suggested one night at dinner. "We already have so much on our plates trying to get prepared for their arrival, so we should probably decide on those sooner rather than later just to get it out of the way."</p><p>"Well, I still like Blaze," Sam stated, only half-joking, as Artie shook his head.</p><p>"No to Blaze. That is where I metaphorically put my foot down!"</p><p>"Okay… what about Jagger? Or London?"</p><p>Artie snorted at the latter.</p><p>"London as in <em>Werewolves of</em>?!" he asked, referencing the Warren Zevon duet they had once performed back when Sam had first adopted McConaughey.</p><p>"Yeah, why not? I like it! It's edgy and cool and gives off the impression that her dads are serious jetsetters who have good taste in '70s rock," Sam reasoned.</p><p>Artie shook his head before somewhat conceding.</p><p>"We can add it to the list, but that doesn't mean I like it. I do like Whitney though."</p><p>"Whitney as in Houston?!" Sam retorted back, just as Artie had done to him several moments earlier.</p><p>"Whitney was a queen who absolutely owned every song she performed. To be named after her would be, like, the highest honor, yo!"</p><p>Sam rolled his eyes. They had completely different tastes when it came to things like this. It was a miracle that they had settled on a name so easily when Ash was born- Sam wasn't sure they were going to be able to do that again. But how do you agree to disagree on something as important as your children's names?</p><p>"Here's an idea," Artie said as he loaded his now empty plate onto his lap before unlocking his wheels and heading towards the dishwasher. "How about you name one baby, and I name the other. With the only guideline being nothing that will get us on the front page of <em>People</em> magazine for the worst parents of the year."</p><p>"You're on!" Sam accepted the challenge.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>A FEW MONTHS LATER...</em>
</p><p>Artie's heart rate sped up and he gasped as he sat straight up in bed. What time was it?! And why was the phone ringing?! Artie shoved his glasses on his face and grabbed his iPhone, noticing the time (2 AM) and the Caller ID.</p><p>"What the hell, Mercedes?!"</p><p>"Get up. Get up, get up, get up!" she yelled from the other end of the line. "Quinn's in labor, I'm taking her to the hospital. Get ready to meet your babies!"</p><p>And with that, suddenly Artie was wide awake.</p><p>"Okay, we're on our way," he informed her before hanging up. Artie all but tackled Sam, who was such a heavy sleeper that he didn't even hear the phone ring.</p><p>"Wake up!" Artie vigorously shook Sam's shoulder. "Quinn's having our babies! We've gotta meet her and Mercedes at the hospital!"</p><p>"What?" Sam muttered groggily, his brain, still half asleep, hadn't processed a word Artie had said.</p><p>Artie slowly repeated the news as he threw back the covers and pulled his chair closer to the bedside so that he could transfer into it before grabbing a pair of joggers and heading to the bathroom to do his routine as quickly as he could.</p><p>Sam, who was only in a pair of boxers, then tiredly got out of bed and pulled a random t-shirt and sweatpants combo out of his drawers. When Artie vacated the bathroom, Sam went in to brush his teeth and mess with his hair a little so it didn't look <em>too</em> much like bedhead.</p><p>"I'm gonna go get Ash, then we'll be ready to go. Can you get the hospital bag and go start the car? I'll be out in a minute," Artie directed as Sam followed his lead.</p><p>Artie slowly cracked open the door of Asher's bedroom and quietly slipped in. He rubbed his hand on his son's back to gently wake him up.</p><p>"Hey, Ash," Artie whispered as the boy's eyes fluttered open. "Hey, Buddy. Auntie Quinnie's having the babies. Daddy and I have to go meet her and Aunt 'Cedes at the hospital. We're gonna drop you off at Auntie Britt and Auntie 'Tana's house, okay? Then in the morning when the babies are here, they're gonna take you to meet us at the hospital."</p><p>The boy sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes. His demeanor was so much like Sam's that Artie was nearly positive that he hadn't retained any of the information he had just told him. Artie pulled the boy into his lap and wheeled them both out to the car where Sam was waiting.</p><p>After dropping Asher off at the Lopez-Pierce's, they were en route to the hospital. When they got there, a nurse pointed them in the direction of Quinn's room (she was much nicer than the receptionist at the OB's office!).</p><p>By the time they had reached Quinn's bedside, it was time for her to start pushing. Artie couldn't believe how fast the process was going- he had always heard horror stories of women being in labor for over 24 hours. Mercedes was just happy that the boys were finally here so that they could take over the hand holding duties. Moral support was more of her specialty.</p><p>"I hate you both so much!" Quinn screamed in pain as sweat beaded on her forehead.</p><p>"This'll be the last time, I promise!" Sam replied with a guilty smile.</p><p>"Okay, Quinn, I'm gonna have you start pushing now," her doctor said.</p><p>A moment later, Quinn was pushing, screaming, and squeezing Sam and Artie's hands so tight she could've done some serious damage.</p><p>"Ah! Quinn! I kinda need my hands to get around, woman! Go easy on a brother!" Artie winced, knowing that his pain was probably only a fraction of what Quinn was experiencing on his behalf.</p><p>"You're doing so good, Quinn, you're so close!" her doctor praised her. "Give me a couple more big pushes like that and we'll have the first baby!"</p><p>Quinn groaned at the thought of having to push out <em>two</em> babies. Artie and Sam definitely owed her big time after this.</p><p>About an hour and a half later, Quinn was lying in the hospital bed exhausted and Artie and Sam were seated on either side of her with the newborns nestled in their arms. The doctor had determined that the twins were most likely identical, as it appeared that they shared a placenta. Regardless of whether they were fraternal or identical, they were perfect; They had Sam and Quinn's green eyes with a little bit of blonde fuzz on top of their heads. Artie couldn't wait to love and protect his beautiful towheaded little girls.</p><p>"Have you decided on names yet?" Quinn asked tiredly, leaning over to get a glance of the one in Sam's arms.</p><p>"Meet Sadie London Abrams-Evans," Sam declared as he stroked the baby's cheek with his finger, causing her to smile reflexively.</p><p>Sam and Artie had decided not to share the names they had picked out with one another until the babies were born, and Artie was surprised by how much he loved the name Sam had settled on. He much preferred London as a middle name, and couldn't help but admit that it was a great way to pay homage to their relationship.</p><p>"And who's this?" Quinn asked, turning her attention to Artie.</p><p>"This," Artie began, handing the baby up so Quinn could hold her. "is Whitney Quinn Abrams-Evans."</p><p>It only felt natural to name her after the beautiful and generous woman who carried her for eight-and-a-half months.</p><p>"Artie…" Quinn breathed as her eyes filled up with tears, cradling the infant in her arms. "You don't have to do that."</p><p>"And she's beautiful. Just like her Auntie Q," Artie stated, nodding in assurance.</p><p>Quinn leaned down to kiss the top of Artie's head. She had now carried four babies and given them all up. It was difficult to give Beth up, but she knew that she was only sixteen- much too young to be a mom. And after having Asher, and now the twins, she made the executive decision to stop having babies- for friends and otherwise. If Quinn was meant to be a mom, maybe she would adopt or something. But until then, she was Auntie Quinn.</p><p>And that was the best job in the world.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Please welcome Sadie and Whitney to the Abrams-Evans family!</p><p>Sorry for all of the crazy time jumps- I wanted to fit in Q's whole pregnancy into one chapter, and kind of rushed through the birth. There will be a big time jump going into next chapter, so be prepared for that!</p><p>I hope you are all enjoying this story so far! Please leave me any reviews, thoughts, messages, and suggestions you have on this story! Reading your feedback really motivates me to continue writing! Thank you!</p><p>xoxo QuinnAbrams</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Glee</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 9: Glee</strong>
</p><p>Artie checked his watch. Puck was ten minutes late, per usual. Artie sighed as he mindlessly drummed his fingers on his thigh. It was a tic he had developed after the accident that he used in place of tapping his foot on the ground. Even though he couldn't feel the rhythmic thumping on his upper leg, it seemed to pass the time.</p><p>Artie took a sip of his coffee as he waited alone at a table inside a small cafe in LA's Los Feliz neighborhood. He was waiting on his screenwriter friend for a breakfast meeting to talk about a new project Artie wanted to propose to the production company. He had been wanting to work with Puck for years now, and he couldn't imagine anybody else helping him bring this particular idea to life.</p><p>Finally, he saw his tall muscular friend with the buzz cut enter the cafe. Artie waved him over and they dapped up, pulling each other in for a hug.</p><p>"Hey, man! Sorry I'm late. Lost track of time," Puck said, giving a mediocre excuse.</p><p>"No worries, it's cool," Artie said. "Let's go grab something to eat and get to it?"</p><p>Puck agreed, and once they had ordered their breakfasts, they got right down to business.</p><p>"Okay, little dude, what's going on?" Puck asked, taking a bite of his blueberry muffin.</p><p>"I have a movie idea. It's a little different from what we both usually are involved with, but I think it could really work. I want to direct, and I want you to write it. I can pitch it to Spielberg and Amblin Entertainment, and I really think it could be a hit."</p><p>"And that idea is…?"</p><p>"I want to do a coming-of-age movie about a high school in the Midwest. Specifically following the relationship between the jocks and popular kids versus the social outcasts. A movie that shows them at odds before a shared love of music and performing brings them together," Artie explained with a mischievous smile, seeing the look on Puck's face change as he realized what was being proposed.</p><p>Puck was silent for a minute as he contemplated Artie's idea. He knew right away that this movie had the potential to be a smash hit. But was he willing to go back and revisit his past? After Finn's unexpected death, Puck put his budding screenwriting career on hold to join the Air Force. He had tried his best to turn his life around and leave the bully he was as a teenager behind. However, he could see Artie's passion and excitement about this project and didn't want to let him down. He owed it to him.</p><p>"Okay," Puck answered nodding. "I'll do it."</p><p>"I knew I could count on you!" Artie smiled, reaching behind him to take his laptop out of his backpack that hung around the handles of his wheelchair. "I have been playing with this idea for years now, and I finally feel like I might have enough pull within the industry and studio to make it happen."</p><p>Puck nodded, understanding the hierarchy system of Hollywood and how cutthroat the movie business was.</p><p>"I've had you in mind to write it all this time, too, because you were there. I mean, <em>you</em> were the big scary jock who would give us nerds slushie facials," Artie pointed out, noticing the uncomfortable look on Puck's face. Artie knew he had tried his best to change for the better since he graduated- and he had. Puck didn't look like he was going to say anything, so Artie continued. "But you were also the guy who used me as his charity project and took me on my first double date."</p><p>The last comment elicited a smile out of the bigger man. Because everyone knew how <em>that</em> date had ended.</p><p>"This is our story, Puck. It's the story of our friends, and Mr. Schue, and of how we all got to be as successful as we are. It's time the world hears about the upbringing of that group of misfits from McKinley High."</p><p>Puck nodded in agreement. He knew Artie was right. People were always surprised at how some of Broadway, Hollywood, and the music industry's biggest stars all came from one struggling high school in Lima, Ohio that somehow never had adequate funding for the arts.</p><p>"And I don't want you to hold back with the details," Artie advised him. "I want slushies. I want wheelchairs in Port-A-Potties. I want an award-winning cheer coach trying to sabotage the show choir's every move. I want it all."</p><p>"Wheels…" Puck trailed off, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.</p><p>"See! That's what I'm talking about! Wheels! Give me all the mean nicknames you can remember," Artie said with a surprising amount of enthusiasm in his voice for somebody recalling the traumatic microaggressions of his teenage years.</p><p>Puck still didn't get it- how could Artie have just forgiven him and the others for all of the times they tormented him and made his life a living hell?! If the roles were reversed, Puck wasn't sure he would have been able to do the same. Artie took all of the bullying he faced back in high school and used it to fuel his drive for success, and Puck couldn't help but admire that about him.</p><p>"You've got it, boss," Puck nodded. "I'll get working on it right away and send over the first draft when it's done."</p><p>Artie smiled and stuck his hand out. Puck laughed and shook the smaller man's hand.</p><p>"Pleasure doing business with you."</p><hr/><p>A couple of months and various drafts later, Puck had produced a quality script. It mirrored their high school experiences almost perfectly. And now, Artie had the completed script inside of a manila envelope sitting on his lap as he wheeled into the office of one Steven Spielberg.</p><p>If only teenage Artie could see adult Artie now: all buddy-buddy with one of the greats and comfortable enough with him to stand- well, sit, in his case- in front of him to pitch his own idea and script for a movie to be made on Spielberg's dollar. A dream come true.</p><p>"Mr. Abrams! Come on in!" the grey-bearded man greeted Artie with a welcoming smile. Whatever nervousness Artie was feeling was immediately gone- Steven was one of the friendliest and kindest men in Hollywood, and he knew what it was like to start from the bottom and move your way up in the industry.</p><p>"Good afternoon, Mr. Spielberg," Artie said, shaking hands with the older man.</p><p>"So what brings you in here today?" Spielberg asked, sitting back on the corner of his desk with his arms folded across his chest. "I believe you have an idea you'd like to propose?"</p><p>"And a script, actually," Artie nodded, handing the envelope to the man across from him. "My high school friend and I- you may know him as Noah Puckerman, the screenwriter- collaborated on this idea, and we'd love for Amblin to produce this film."</p><p>"Alright, pitch it to me," Steven replied.</p><p><em>Here goes nothing,</em> Artie thought as he took a deep breath and began.</p><hr/><p>Meanwhile, back on the homefront, Sam was struggling to get all three kids out the door by himself. Having a teenager and two sassy eight-year-olds was proving to be just as difficult as one might imagine.</p><p>"Let's go! Tights on, shoes on, in the car!" Sam called as he attempted to herd his kids out of the house.</p><p>"I don't want to wear tights!" Sadie crossed her arms and pouted. "I want Papa! He wouldn't make me wear 'em!"</p><p>"Oh, yes he would!" Sam replied with a laugh at the fact that the little girl thought she could pull a fast one on him like that. "Papa will be home by the time you get back from dance class, he just needed to stay a little later at work for a meeting."</p><p>Sam knelt down and helped his daughter into her tights and ballet slippers as she scowled.</p><p>"Daddy, are we gonna be late?" the other girl asked, already dressed and ready with her bag slung over her shoulder.</p><p>Though the twins are identical, they have vastly different personalities. Whitney, who is older by two minutes, definitely took more after Artie. She was well-behaved, polite, and easy-going. Her sister Sadie, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. She was the conductor of the Hot Mess Express, and was crazy, loud, and outspoken. She was their problem child, and Sam couldn't help but acknowledge that she had gotten that from him.</p><p>"I'm trying to avoid that," Sam mumbled back, glancing at his watch before yelling in the direction of the living room. "Ash! Get your equipment and get in the car!"</p><p>The fourteen-year-old boy walked into the mudroom with his face stuck in his cell phone. Artie and Sam had discovered early on that their son did not have a musical bone in his body, much to their disappointment. However, he had proven to be pretty athletic, and Ash had recently taken up football. Sam was set to drop him off at practice after he delivered the girls to their dance rehearsal.</p><p>"Why do we even have to do dance class anyways?" Sadie grumbled as Sam tied her shoe.</p><p>"Papa says it's important that we're well-rounded," came Whitney's informative reply. "He says that we'll book more jobs if we are talented <em>and</em> cute."</p><p>The twins had been sought after in the showbiz industry since practically the day they were born- identical twins were a hot commodity for television and movie roles due to the strict child labor laws in the state of California, stating that children under a certain age could only work so many hours a week. Once <em>People</em> magazine <em>E!</em> News reported that film director Artie Abrams and his partner had welcomed identical twins via surrogacy, their family was thrust into the spotlight. Now, at the ripe age of eight, the girls had extensive résumés that rivaled Mary-Kate and Ashley's.</p><p>"Asher, take Whit with you and get her buckled into her car seat while I do Sadie's hair," Sam directed at his eldest child. Asher looked up from his phone and nodded, taking one of his sisters by the hand and leading her into the garage.</p><p>Sam stood up and stuck his tongue out in concentration as he brushed his daughter's light blonde hair with his fingers before twisting it into a sloppy excuse for a bun. <em>Artie is much better at doing the girls' hair than I am</em>, Sam admitted to himself as he added a pink bow to hopefully draw attention away from the messy bun he had created.</p><p>When he was finished, Sadie grabbed her bag and ran out to the car where her siblings waited. Sam shut the door to the house behind him as he followed close behind. Life with three school-aged kids is extremely hectic and crazy, but Sam wouldn't trade it for the world.</p><hr/><p>Artie's hands shook as he pulled into the garage and assembled his wheelchair before transferring into it. His meeting with Spielberg had gone better than he expected, and he couldn't wait to share the news with his family.</p><p>"Papa!" his girls squealed, jumping up from their seats at the dinner table as he entered the kitchen through the mudroom. They fought for spots in his lap as they both wrapped their arms around his neck. They would soon be too big to hug him like this, so Artie was determined to savor every moment.</p><p>"You're just in time for some dinner!" Sam told him, holding up the saucepan that he had been boiling on the stove. "I made my specialty- pasta!"</p><p>Pasta wasn't so much as Sam's specialty as it was the only meal he could cook proficiently, but Artie didn't mind. He had more important things to share.</p><p>"I have news," Artie said, an anticipatory grin spreading across his face. "I pitched a project to Spielberg today. Like, my own real idea. And he loved it."</p><p>Sam's face lit up for his husband.</p><p>"That's great, babe! What's it about?"</p><p>Puck and Artie had been keeping their project a secret from all of their friends- including Sam- to minimize the disappointment if it didn't get picked up. The script had been like their secret baby, and though it felt wrong to have been keeping Sam out of the loop, Artie was so excited to share the news with him now.</p><p>"It's about some high school cliques who put their differences aside and join their school's glee club," Artie said as his smile widened. Sam's jaw dropped. "Puckerman wrote the script and we've been tinkering it for months. I finally worked up the courage to pitch it to Steven, and he loved it."</p><p>Artie couldn't believe the words that were coming out of his mouth were real. It felt too good to be true.</p><p>"Artie, man, that's amazing!" Sam said, running over to give his husband a celebratory hug and kiss.</p><p>But Artie wasn't finished sharing the good news.</p><p>"He loved it so much that he allotted us more money for production than we'd originally asked for. He said he thinks it may be <em>Oscar-worthy</em>!"</p><p>So far, Artie had directed and produced more movies than he could count on his fingers. They had all been relatively successful, but nothing really special. But this… <em>this</em> could be his big chance.</p><p>Sam and the three kids all cheered. There was a lot of jumping up and down, screaming, and excitement in the Abrams-Evans household tonight, and with good reason.</p><p>"This is huge, Art. I'm so proud of you," Sam said, looking at his husband lovingly with tears in his eyes. "What's it called?"</p><p>Artie beamed and his big blue eyes twinkled behind his glasses.</p><p>"It's called <em>Glee</em>."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Only a couple of chapters left!</p><p>I hope you are all enjoying this story so far! Please leave me any reviews, thoughts, messages, and suggestions you have on this story! Reading your feedback really motivates me to continue writing! Thank you!</p><p>xoxo QuinnAbrams</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. And the Oscar Goes too...</h2></a>
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  <strong>Chapter 10: And the Oscar Goes to… </strong>
</p><p>"Looking dapper, Mr. Evans!" Artie said, wheeling into their bedroom. Sam had just gotten dressed in his tuxedo and pulled his long blonde hair into a low ponytail. He'd been growing it out these last few months to mimic the style he had sported his senior year of high school, even though Artie had insisted that he couldn't walk a red carpet resembling an American colonist from the Revolutionary War ("They're gonna be looking at you, not me!" Sam had argued). Sam was standing in front of the full length mirror, attempting to tie his bowtie.</p><p>"You don't look too shabby yourself," Sam said, smiling as he looked over at Artie who had just gotten dressed into his own tuxedo. He had ditched his glasses for the occasion, and unlike Sam, his hair was elaborately coiffed.</p><p>"Oh, you're so kind," Artie smiled, gesturing for Sam to bend down. Sam knelt on one knee in front of Artie's chair and handed his bowtie to the smaller man who expertly fastened it around his neck.</p><p>"You nervous?" Sam asked, standing up after Artie had finished.</p><p>Artie shook his head.</p><p>"What's done is done. I poured my absolute heart and soul into this film, and I'm so proud of the final product. Just the fact that it received any nominations at all is an honor."</p><p><em>Glee</em> had hit theaters the summer before and was a box office hit- it developed a massive cult following (fans called themselves "Gleeks"), and critics said that it would go down in history alongside iconic movies such as <em>The Breakfast Club</em> and <em>Boyhood</em> as one of the greatest coming-of-age films of all time. It was up for Best Picture, Best Original Song (Artie and Puck had asked Mercedes to write and perform a song for the movie, and she had eagerly agreed), and Best Screenplay (this was Puck's first-ever award nomination for his writing, and it felt even better than he'd imagined). Artie himself had been nominated for Best Director. It truly felt like it was a dream he would wake up from any minute now.</p><p>Sam knew Artie too well and didn't believe for a second that he wasn't nervous.</p><p>"Whatever you say…" Sam's voice trailed off as he gave Artie a knowing smirk. "Regardless of what happens tonight, just know that I am the proudest I've ever been of anyone in my entire life."</p><p>Artie looked up at Sam with a loving and grateful smile. He had the best husband, three of the best kids, a successful original film… How had he gotten so lucky?</p><hr/><p>"Best behavior, do you hear me?!" Sam said to the kids in the back of the limo as it pulled up to the venue, looking pointedly at Sadie who held her hands up in surrender. "The second you step foot out of this car, there will be cameras recording your every move. If you so much as look at your sister or brother funny, it will be on the front page of <em>Us Weekly</em> tomorrow."</p><p>This would be all three of the kids' first awards show- Artie didn't think that they were a great place for children, so he had previously attended them alone with Sam. However, this one was different. He had a good feeling about the outcome and wanted his entire family there to revel with him, should celebrations be in order. Needless to say, Sam and Artie were a little anxious about how their kids would behave in the public eye.</p><p>The limo stopped and the driver stepped out of the car. He opened the trunk and retrieved Artie's wheelchair before opening the back door.</p><p>"Showtime!" Artie whispered to his family, his voice giddy with excitement, before using his arms to very carefully shift his body out of the limousine and into his chair. The last thing he needed was to absolutely wipe out in front of the paps.</p><p>Once Artie was situated, his family followed one by one: first Sadie, then Ash, then Whitney, then, finally, Sam.</p><p>From the second they exited the safety of the black car, the press and photographers were shouting Artie's name from all over. Artie pushed his chair along the red carpet, Sam and the kids trailing close behind.</p><p>The five of them posed as hundreds of cameras flashed in their direction. Artie's heartbeat thumped in his chest and he hoped he didn't look as overwhelmed as he felt. He could feel Sam's hand on his back, just above the cusp of sensation leftover as a result of his injury, and it somehow comforted him as the sound of shuttering camera lenses overcame his senses.</p><p>Artie, Sam, and Asher were sporting identical black and white tuxedos, and the girls were dressed in expensive pink and blue tulle dresses. Quinn had come over earlier to curl their hair and do their makeup for their first red carpet moment. Managers and other busy people with headpieces and clipboards shoved them along the carpet, giving all of the photographers a chance to capture the family.</p><p>Artie typically hated red carpet events- when the carpet meets the four wheels of his chair, it causes significant friction and makes it difficult to move. That, in addition to the blinding sea of camera flashes, could easily be a recipe for disaster. Once or twice the carpet had been so thick that he simply couldn't maneuver over it and had to wheel alongside it instead. After that embarrassing experience, it was difficult for him to get excited about attending these kinds of functions. However, if Artie had to pick something that he hated more than the carpet itself, it would have to be the mundane and occasionally overly-invasive press interviews. Artie thought of himself as a pretty humble guy- he chose to be behind the cameras for a reason- so talking about himself and his accomplishments made him wildly uncomfortable. Despite this, it was no surprise that it seemed like every news outlet wanted to interview Artie; a paraplegic, openly bisexual film director in his thirties whose project was nominated for four Academy Awards is not a story that presents itself every day.</p><p>"Mr. Abrams, first off, congratulations on your nominations," the reporter from <em>Entertainment Tonight</em> greeted him, to which Artie replied a polite thank you.</p><p>"You're making history tonight as the first person in a wheelchair to be nominated for an Academy Award. What are your thoughts on that?"</p><p>Artie had been expecting this question. The press had been buzzing about Artie ever since the nominations had come out, and as much as he hoped that it was because of his work as a director, he knew that it was more likely because of this reason.</p><p>"I'd say it's been a long time coming," Artie said, his face serious. "Disabled people have been in the industry for decades. It's about time we get some credit. I am honored to be leading the way, but I do hope to see many more after me."</p><p>Artie and the Abrams-Evans family were ushered towards the next reporter.</p><p>"Who do you have with you today?" the journalist asked Artie, nodding towards Sam and the kids. Most nominees appeared on the carpet alone or with their well-known partners, so it was rare to see an entire family before the cameras.</p><p>"My arm candy and my entourage!" Artie joked, eliciting a smile from the reporter and his own family. "This is my husband, Sam, and our children."</p><p>"What are you hoping they gain from being in the room amongst some of the greats tonight?"</p><p>"Well, you know, our movie is all about following your dreams and believing in yourself. And for them to be in a room with all of the most successful and hardworking people in the biz… I want them to see that if you set your mind to something and dedicate your life to what makes you happy, you can achieve your goals."</p><p>"So well said," the reporter praised him before turning his attention to Sam. "So, Arm Candy, what do you have to say about your nominee?"</p><p>Sam nervously stepped closer to the microphone.</p><p>"Oh, uh, I just want to say that I'm so proud of him. But he already knows that of course," Sam said taking Artie's hand in his. Artie looked up at him admirably. "I just think it's amazing how he told the story of us, our friends, and our upbringing. I don't know if you've seen the movie, but it's one where you're constantly rooting for the underdogs to come out on top. Its message is really great and inspiring. I never would have thought that the happenings of our little high school in Ohio would make for a good movie, but Artie and Puck- Noah Puckerman- have worked so hard to bring this to fruition. I think he's got some awards in the bag tonight for sure, but I may be biased."</p><p>The affectionate look that Artie and Sam shared was unmissable. They were so obviously in love that it was hard not to smile when you saw them. Then, right there on the red carpet at the Oscars, Sam knelt down beside Artie and kissed him. Artie was taken by surprise, but he wasn't mad. Instead, he smiled into their kiss, bringing a hand up to Sam's chin. Meanwhile, Ash, Whit, and Sadie recoiled in disgust at their dads' PDA. At just the right moment, a camera flashed. <em>Now </em><em><strong>that </strong></em><em>will be the cover of Us Weekly</em>, Artie thought to himself as he grinned.</p><hr/><p>Once inside, they took their seat at one of the tables on the main floor ("This is where they put the important people!" Artie had whisper-squealed to Sam in disbelief).</p><p>It wasn't long before the show began. There was a lot of boring commentary by the hosts, complimented by polite laughter from those in attendance. There were also lots of commercial breaks- also known as when the hosts rattle off as many of the smaller categories as they can get through before the cameras turn back on.</p><p>Artie was on cloud nine all night. He was thrilled when Puck received his award for Best Screenplay. His speech was somewhat politically incorrect (which seemed like a breath of fresh air compared to some of the over-the-top polished ones they'd been forced to listen to) and it evoked some genuine laughter from the crowd. Artie's heart soared when Mercedes got to go accept her award for Best Original Song and they played her piece over the speakers as she walked up to the stage. It felt too good to be true when they announced <em>Glee</em> as this year's Best Picture. He couldn't wipe the smile off of his face as he allowed the actors to accept the award and make their own speeches.</p><p>At this point, it was late in the night. Asher was constantly fighting the urge to take out his cell phone and Snapchat his friends out of boredom, and Sadie and Whitney looked like they were both about to fall asleep sitting straight up. Sam held Artie's hand under the table throughout the night, every once in a while giving it a squeeze of support. Artie had already mentally assured himself that he wasn't going to win the award for Best Director so that he wouldn't be too disappointed when the winner was announced. There was just <em>no way</em> that his film could do a clean sweep of every category it was nominated for at his first Academy Awards show. The whole night may have felt like a dream, but that would just simply be too good to be true.</p><p>"And now, the Academy Award nominees for Best Director are…" the announcer began to read off the names.</p><p>All of a sudden, all three Abrams-Evans kids were giving the stage their undivided attention, and Artie looked beside him at Sam with a nervous-but-excited look on his face.</p><p>"And for <em>Glee</em>, Artie Abrams," he said finally.</p><p>Those sitting at his table cheered, and Puck yelled "Yeah, Wheels!" so loud that you probably could hear it from Lima. Artie gave a soft smile and a small wave at the camera pointing in his direction.</p><p>"And the Oscar goes to…" the presenter said as the room fell silent.</p><p>"For <em>Glee</em>, Artie Abrams!"</p><p>Artie's eyes widened and both of his hands shot up to his face to cover his mouth in surprise. Sam jumped up and pumped his fist in the air before bending down to give Artie a kiss on the cheek and straighten out his bowtie.</p><p>"Go, Papa, go!" his kids hollered as their father unlocked his wheels and began making his way towards the stage in disbelief. The award show's crew immediately ran out with a ramp to place over the stairs so that Artie would be able to go on stage to accept his award.</p><p>By the time he was holding the golden statue in his hands, the presenter had lowered the microphone down to his level so that he could say the speech that he had been practicing in front of the mirror since he was sixteen.</p><p>"Thank you so much! This is truly such an honor," Artie said as the applause died down. "I would like to thank Steven Spielberg and Amblin Entertainment for taking a chance on me, and my literal partner-in-crime since high school, Noah Puckerman, who wrote this amazing script. I wouldn't be here today without the support of my incredible husband Sam, and our three beautiful, kind, and clever children: Ash, Whitney, and Sadie. You four are my world, and everything I do is for you. I love you!"</p><p>An "awwww" fell over the crowd.</p><p>"I'd also like to thank all of my friends and former tormentors from Lima- you were the inspiration for this project, and whether you supported my dreams way back then or gave me a slushie facial, I appreciate you," he laughed before continuing. "I'd also like to shout out Mr. Will Schuester. Mr. Schue, you helped me see all that I could be even though I was in this chair, and if you hadn't encouraged me time and time again, I never would have tried my hand at directing, so thank you."</p><p>Artie knew his time was running out, but this was his long-awaited moment, and he would be damned if he didn't savor it.</p><p>"I'd like to dedicate this award to all of the outcasts out there. I want you to know that you don't have to sit on the sidelines forever. Never give up on your dreams- if you can imagine it, it can come true. There's no elevator for success, so sometimes you have to build yourself a ramp because the venue isn't handicapped accessible," a roar of laughter erupted from the audience as Artie finished his speech and held up his award. "Thank you, and don't stop believin'!"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Our little Artie is an OSCAR WINNER!</p><p>I have been anticipating writing this chapter since I first came up with the idea for this story, and I think I finally got it as close as I wanted to perfection! Shoutout to you if you caught the Tina line from 1x19 in Artie's speech ("If you can imagine it, it can come true"), and the line inspired by Artie's video for Mr. Schue in 5x13 ("You helped me see all that I could be even though I was in this chair")!</p><p>I hope you all loved this story as much as I loved writing it! Stay tuned for the Epilogue! Please leave me any reviews, thoughts, and messages you have on this story! Reading your feedback really motivates me to continue writing! Thank you!</p><p>xoxo QuinnAbrams</p>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Epilogue</h2></a>
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  <strong>Epilogue </strong>
</p><p>"So my next guest is the four-time Academy Award-winning director and creator of the hit movie <em>Glee</em>. He and his family made quite the splash when a photograph of them on last week's Oscars red carpet went viral," Ellen DeGeneres said to the camera, and a small chuckle came from the in-studio audience. "Please welcome Artie Abrams and his family!"</p><p>The show's PA gave them their cue, and when the large doors opened, Artie, Sam, and the kids headed towards where Ellen was standing. Artie gave a small wave towards the audience as they cheered. Ellen stood up and shook each member of the family's hands before the kids and Sam sat on the couch and Artie locked his wheels in place beside them.</p><p>"Welcome! I'm so excited to have you here!" Ellen greeted them.</p><p>"Thank you so much, we are so excited to be here," Artie told her with a smile.</p><p>"Congratulations on your four Oscars, by the way. That's incredible!" the audience cheered as the host praised Artie's work.</p><p>"Thank you so much. It still doesn't feel real," he blushed.</p><p>"And who do we have with us today?" Ellen asked, nodding towards his family.</p><p>"This is my husband, Sam, and our little rugrats," Artie told her before turning to the three kids. "You guys wanna introduce yourselves?"</p><p>"I'm Asher," the nearly sixteen-year-old boy said nonchalantly. As he had gotten older, Ash had somewhat aged out of his boisterous and talkative personality. Compared to the twins, he was now definitely the most reserved out of the three, and it had taken quite a bit of convincing to get him to appear on the show with his family in the first place.</p><p>"I'm Sadie!" the twin wearing high top sneakers answered, swinging her legs back and forth as she sat on the white couch.</p><p>"And I'm Whitney!" the smaller twin grinned sweetly as her pigtails bounced up and down. "It's so nice to meet you, Ellen, thank you for having us."</p><p>"What polite children you've raised," Ellen commented as Artie and Sam exchanged a laugh. They never could quite predict what was going to come out of either twin's mouth at any given moment, and were happy that the kids seemed to be on their best behavior.</p><p>"So tell us, what was the process behind creating this movie?" Ellen asked. "I understand it was based on your actual high school experience?"</p><p>Artie nodded.</p><p>"The screenwriter, Noah Puckerman, and I went to high school together, where we were in Glee Club. He was the intimidating jock football player, and I was the nerdy kid in the wheelchair that dressed like a ninety-year-old," Artie explained, eliciting a laugh from the audience. "The idea for the film came to me one day, and I immediately approached Puck to see if he would write it. The movie is basically a front-row seat to our high school years. The characters were all heavily based off of ourselves and our friends, and we were even able to film at our old stomping grounds- William McKinley High School- during summer break."</p><p>"So… you were actually stuffed in a Port-A-Potty and thrown into dumpsters back then?!" Ellen asked, a bit of disbelief present on her face which Artie attributed to the assumption that everybody always took it easy on him because of the chair. Artie nodded.</p><p>"I'm not sure where those guys are now, but they're probably watching you conquer the world from their couches!" she said.</p><p>Artie and Sam shared a knowing glance and laughed.</p><p>"Uh, he's probably at home polishing his Oscar for Best Screenplay," Sam said with a grin.</p><p>A funny look appeared on Ellen's face as she realized what the boys were alluding to. Looking to change the subject, she directed her next question to the kids.</p><p>"So what are you three up to? Staying in school? Do you think you'll follow in your dad's footsteps?"</p><p>"Uh, yeah, school and football," Ash answered, running a finger through his dark hair.</p><p>"He's a beast on the field," Artie bragged. "It may be hard to believe, but both Sam and I were on the football team in high school, and we are those crazy dads on the sidelines at all of his games that get way too into the plays."</p><p>"He's a chick magnet, too," Sam said, causing Asher's face to grow bright red in embarrassment.</p><p>Luckily, he was saved by his little sisters, who were eager for their own moment in the spotlight.</p><p>"Me and her do dance classes and gymnastics. And we go to work with Papa and do acting jobs at the studios," Sadie told Ellen.</p><p>"Papa says that soon we'll be walking the carpets for ourselves and he will retire from being a director and be our dad-ager instead," Whitney chimed in, to which Artie shrugged and nodded in agreement.</p><p>"And, Sam? What are you up to besides raising these three and being married to this Hollywood heartthrob?" Ellen asked. Artie felt his face flush at the compliment- never in a million years had he imagined someone like Ellen DeGeneres referring to <em>him</em> as a Hollywood heartthrob!</p><p>"I am actually the head of the music therapy department at Children's Hospital Los Angeles," he told her, a chorus of "awwws" coming from the studio audience. "I had a brief stint where I coached the New Directions, and it made me realize that I love kids and that I love teaching music. So, I decided to finally go to college and get my degree, and I've been doing this ever since!"</p><p>Ellen smiled and nodded her approval before averting the conversation back to talking about <em>Glee</em>.</p><p>"Well, there was one thing I noticed when watching the movie that I found particularly interesting," Ellen commented. "The characters based off of the both of you rarely interacted! Was there a decision made to not include you two as a couple in the plot?"</p><p>Artie shook his head.</p><p>"Never. We didn't consciously determine that we were not going to focus on our relationship, but it just wasn't the story we were telling. I am openly bisexual, but in high school, I was dating mostly girls."</p><p>"And I was still in the closet!" Sam added, evoking a laugh from Ellen and the audience.</p><p>"Yes, that too," Artie agreed. "The majority of Sam and I's friendship in high school happened after hours. The story I wanted to tell wasn't about <em>us</em> specifically- it was about the club. About what could happen if we stopped being at odds and joined forces. And so that's the story we told. Lucky for us, the people seemed to connect with it."</p><p>"I want to talk about this picture," Ellen said as the photo of their kiss on the red carpet flashed up on the big screen. "Was it here when you realized you would become Hollywood's next power couple?"</p><p>Sam and Artie laughed at the photograph (which had appeared in nearly every pop culture magazine that covered the event), and their kids shook their heads and rolled their eyes dramatically.</p><p>"I don't think we ever thought <em>that</em> would happen. We're just some guys from Ohio. None of this has sunk in yet," Sam said.</p><p>"From what I remember about the movie, the McKinley High School Glee Club was constantly worried about budget cuts and having enough money for costumes and performances," Ellen stated.</p><p>Artie and Sam both nodded.</p><p>"When I was a freshman, we once had to hold a bake sale to raise money for a bus that was equipped with a wheelchair lift so that I was able to ride with the team to Sectionals," Artie shared.</p><p>"Well, our friends at Shutterfly don't want the New Directions to have to worry about anything except taking home more first place trophies. They have generously donated twenty-five thousand dollars to the McKinley Glee Club!" Ellen exclaimed as a PA ran out from backstage holding one of those giant checks.</p><p>Sam and Artie looked at each other with pure joy and shock on their faces, hugging each other before accepting the check. They knew that Mr. Schue and Roderick would be watching the interview from home, and were both probably already imagining all that they could do with twenty-five grand.</p><p>"Thank you all for being here with me today," Ellen thanked them, signaling that the end of their segment was near.</p><p>"Thank you so much for having us and for this donation. This will make a difference in the lives of so many kids," Artie expressed his gratitude to the woman.</p><p>As Ellen looked into the camera and told the audience where they could watch <em>Glee</em>, Artie took a minute to take in his surroundings. Here he was doing talk show interviews and rolling across red carpets with four Academy Awards under his belt and a loving family that supported him no matter what. He was the same nerdy wheelchair-bound kid he'd always been, but now he was on top of the world.</p><p>
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    <em> <strong>THE END</strong> </em>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you all enjoyed this story! It's one of my favorites I've written for sure. I think writing for Sam and Artie is just so fun and refreshing.</p><p>Please leave me any reviews, thoughts, and messages you have after reading on this story! Reading your feedback really motivates me to continue writing! Thank you so much for reading and I hope you liked reading this as much as I loved writing it!</p><p>xoxo QuinnAbrams</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you are all enjoying this story so far! Please leave me any reviews, thoughts, messages, and suggestions you have on this story! Reading your feedback really motivates me to continue writing! Thank you!</p><p>xoxo QuinnAbrams</p></blockquote></div></div>
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